The Chicago Bears haven’t had any great quarterbacks in decades, much less ones who played well as rookies. The passing yardage record belongs to Mitch Trubisky, with 2,193. Charlie O’Rourke holds the touchdown record with 11. Keep in mind Andrew Luck threw for 4,374 yards as a rookie in 2012. Justin Herbert threw for 31 touchdowns. That should give you an idea of how bad it’s been and why fans are reluctant to believe the cycle will ever break. Caleb Williams faces a difficult challenge trying to rewrite this history.
Experts are unsure what awaits the #1 overall pick this season. Some believe he will break those franchise records, while others think it will take him time to adjust to the speed and complexity of NFL defenses. The Bears are installing a new offense under Shane Waldron. It may take a while for everybody to get on the same page. However, Jeff Hughes of Da Bears Blog is hearing differently. Several people inside the league itself believe not only that Williams will be good, but good right away.
That is the key to remember in all of this. On paper, he has the best supporting cast a #1 overall pick ever has. That includes two Pro Bowl-caliber receivers (D.J. Moore and Keenan Allen), a top-10 tight end (Cole Kmet), a top-10 wide receiver (Rome Odunze), and an offensive line returning four starters. Williams won’t have to play superhero like he did last season for USC. He has guys around him who know how to make plays. All he has to do is execute the offense and get them the football. The Superman cape won’t be required all the time.
Most Bears quarterbacks couldn’t say as much. Almost none of them had a supporting cast this deep. Caleb Williams seems to understand what is expected of him. The organization doesn’t want him to be their savior. They want him to be their quarterback. Be himself. Do what he knows how to do while making sure to learn the game at a more complex level. Operate from the pocket. Go through his reads. Don’t freelance unless given no other choice. Protect himself and the football.
Plenty of people seem to think it won’t take him long to do that.
