Everybody knew they were watching something rare last season. C.J. Stroud joined the Houston Texans as the #2 overall pick and promptly led them to the playoffs, beating the Cleveland Browns in the wild card round. The rookie had an outstanding year, one of the best a first-year quarterback has ever had. Many see him as the new standard for rookies to measure up to. Of course, that now includes Caleb Williams. He’s the #1 overall pick, widely considered one of the best prospects to come out of college in years.
Many wonder if he can do the same thing for the Chicago Bears Stroud did for Houston. Williams has a good setup on paper. D.J. Moore and Keenan Allen are two 1,000-yard machines at wide receiver. Cole Kmet is a top-10 tight end. They drafted Rome Odunze 9th overall. Shane Waldron came over from Seattle as offensive coordinator after doing great work with Geno Smith. ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith asked the obvious question on First Take in an interview with Williams. Is he wrong to think the rookie can duplicate what Stroud accomplished last year? The Bears QB didn’t hesitate.
“No.”
Teammates and coaches have mentioned it since he arrived in April. While he doesn’t come across as a prima donna or anything like that, it is impossible to miss how self-assured Williams is. He believes in his ability as a quarterback. This comes from his talent, work ethic, and vicious competitive streak. He’s had immediate success at every level so far in his football career. There is no reason, in his mind, to think that it will be any different in Chicago. He turned a 4-8 USC team into an 11-2 squad in only one year. Taking a 7-10 Bears team to the playoffs is not a challenge he fears.
This is the kind of swagger the team needs. Caleb Williams is expected to be the leader. The quarterback is always the one who sets the tone for everybody else. If he expresses belief that he can put together a similar season to Stroud, it will let teammates know there is no hesitation in his thinking. He believes the Bears are good enough to do what the Texans did last year. Williams aims to do his part. All he asks is that everybody gives their best in return. Make no mistake. The locker room notices stuff like that.
