The Chicago Bears knew early on that Caleb Williams would be their pick in the 2024 NFL draft. Once it became clear they would land the #1 overall pick again, GM Ryan Poles and his scouts began deep evaluations of the incoming draft class. By at least the beginning of March, they were convinced Williams was the guy. His tape was outstanding, and he coupled that with a strong interview in their first meeting at the scouting combine. That doesn’t include the glowing reviews they got from coaches, teammates, and friends regarding his personality and work ethic.
By the time of the draft, it was a foregone conclusion that Chicago would take him. The league even asked Poles to wait five minutes before turning in the pick to build at least some suspense. Since that night, Williams has lived up to his billing. He swiftly won over the locker room, showcasing maturity and leadership and earning captain status. On top of that, he showed multiple flashes of brilliance in the preseason. Expectations in Chicago are high.
What may shock people is that those expectations extend to the wider NFL. League insider Albert Breer of the MMQB recently surveyed executives, scouts, and coaches with a simple question: Who do they think will be the top five quarterbacks at the end of the 2024 season? He revealed the results to Kap and J-Hood of ESPN 1000. It featured a massive surprise.
The fact several respected NFL people think he could be in the same conversation as Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Lamar Jackson as a rookie is bananas to think about. Will it happen? Probably not. As talented as Williams is, almost every rookie goes through growing pains. He’ll have some great moments, but he will also have some weeks where he looks a little overwhelmed. The goal for the Bears is to help him find more consistency as the season goes along. Less negative plays. More positive ones.
One thing is certain. If Caleb Williams somehow fulfills those expectations by the end of this season, Bears fans will be insufferable. They will talk so much trash it might seem like a particularly nasty confrontation in Congress. The best thing about this is Williams won’t have to do it all himself. He’s surrounded by playmakers at wide receiver, tight end, and running back. If his offensive line holds up well enough, he can just distribute the ball to those guys and let them do the work. Not a bad setup for a rookie.
