A common trend in the modern NFL is for teams to sign highly experienced veterans to pair with rookies who go high in the draft. This way, the younger guys can learn the ins and outs of playing the position professionally. The Chicago Bears have actually enacted this approach twice. They signed Mike Glennon to pair with Mitch Trubisky in 2017 and Andy Dalton to pair with Justin Fields in 2021. Unfortunately, both situations proved toxic. Glennon was turned off by not being warned the Bears were taking Trubisky. Fields resented Dalton for taking snaps he felt were rightfully his.
So, it is easy to understand why the organization chose to avoid this strategy in 2024, declaring Caleb Williams their starter from day one. There will be no prominent veteran addition to mentor him. He’s the guy, period. A lot of people continue expressing concerns about this, feeling the Bears are doing Williams a disservice by not putting as much knowledge around the young QB as possible. It appears GM Ryan Poles already thought of that. That is why he crafted a plan to work around the problem, according to Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune.
In addition, rather than investing in an established veteran backup quarterback, Poles and Eberflus hired (Ryan) Griffin as an additional assistant coach, hoping he can be a sounding board and source of wisdom for Williams. Griffin finished his 10-season career as an NFL backup in 2022 and spent this spring earning MVP honors in the Italian Football League.
During his playing days, Griffin spent two seasons with Drew Brees in New Orleans and two more with Tom Brady at Tampa Bay, gaining valuable insight into the preparation habits and mentalities of two of the best quarterbacks ever to play…
…Poles’ research convinced him that behind the scenes, Griffin was a valued leader for the 2020 Buccaneers team that won the Super Bowl, a trusted resource for Brady and a glue guy in the locker room. The hope is he can become similarly reliable for Williams.
The guy was an undrafted free agent out of Tulane but managed to stick in the NFL for a decade. That doesn’t happen without great preparation and perseverance. He’s also gotten to learn from some great coaches. It started with Sean Payton in New Orleans and ended with Bruce Arians in Tampa Bay. Both are widely considered two of the best quarterback developers this side of the millennium. Learning from them, along with two Hall of Famers in Brady and Brees, gives him unique expertise on how to inform Williams about what must be done to reach greatness.
Credit to the Chicago Bears for finding a way around the problem. They still found a great mentor for their young quarterback without having to make him feel threatened by signing an active quarterback. Williams is in capable hands. If he keeps his ears open and shows a willingness to apply everything he learns, there is no limit to what he can accomplish in Chicago. Meanwhile, the Bears must do all in their power to surround him with as much help as possible.
