Caleb Williams faced an uphill battle when he joined the Chicago Bears. Not only did he carry the profile of a #1 overall pick, but he was replacing somebody who had been popular in the locker room. Justin Fields had a lot of loyal teammates at Halas Hall. They weren’t sure what to expect from this young kid in Hollywood. The last thing they wanted was a cavalcade of cameras bringing distractions. As it turns out, the person they got was entirely different from what they expected. Gervon Dexter was among many to realize it.
Williams wasted no time showing the Bears starting defense that he is not the same cat they dealt with the past three years. His passing ability is already at a high level, and their usual tricks of disguises and blitzes aren’t catching him off guard nearly as often as hoped. He also isn’t prone to making a lot of mistakes. Yet what has stood out the most to Dexter is how Williams carries himself. The leadership and self-confidence are evident every day. That and how hard he works. He explained to CHGO.
Williams is already working at a level that the defensive tackle himself admits wasn’t there for him last year. Knowing your quarterback holds himself to such a high standard is a great thing. It motivates everybody else to do the same. There is still plenty of proving to do. Williams hasn’t played a down in the NFL yet. Until then, nobody will hand him the crown. The same goes for Dexter. His rookie year was promising, but expectations are much higher going into 2024, especially with him taking over the starting defensive tackle job.
If both of them succeed at their goals for this season, the Bears will be in great shape come December. People feel this could be a playoff team. For that they need more good defense and adequate production from the passing game. Gervon Dexter is ready to build on how he finishes 2023. Williams is eager to show everybody that he is capable of becoming one of the all time greats. Doing it in Chicago would only enhance that legacy. It should be a fun next few months.
