Quarterbacks are judged by two things in the NFL: their talent and their leadership. Both are required if they aim to not only rank among the best ever to play but also win a championship. Caleb Williams seeks to do both. To accomplish that objective, he must be more than the talented improviser with pinpoint accuracy he was in college. He must learn to play the position like a professional. More importantly, he must get a Chicago Bears locker room full of grown men to believe he is the guy they need to win.
GM Ryan Poles said it best. “The players know.” Initial impressions during the introductory dinner before the draft were all positive. Williams came across as calm, collected, and comfortable in his own skin. It appears opinions have only gotten better since then. Several people throughout the organization have expressed how impressive the rookie quarterback has been at handling himself both on and off the field. That includes head coach Matt Eberflus, offensive tackle Kiran Amegadji, and fellow quarterback Austin Reed.
“You can really tell he’s comfortable in his own skin, and he is who he is,” Eberflus said. “His personality starts. His light comes out from the inside. You can certainly feel that energy. He’s a 1-plus-1-equals-3 guy. He’s an enhancer. He’s a guy that brings out the best in people. You can certainly feel that in him within five minutes of meeting him.”
“I think anyone with a brain knows that this dude is being tabbed as like a generational prospect and I don’t think he shies away from that,” Reed said after Day 1 of camp. “I think he understands the work that it’s gonna take to become that instead of just thinking he is that already. I kind of just respect the fact that he carries himself in that manner and that he really is like: I’m gonna go earn that tag, instead of just thinking that he is that.”
“He’s a big presence in the locker room already,” Amegadjie said Saturday. “He’s a good leader. He’s a person that works hard. He’s always the first one in the morning. When I get here, he’s always in here already. So I think he’s going to be a great leader for us on this team.”
From the outset, he stated that his responsibility wasn’t to seize control of the locker room. It is to listen to the established veterans already in place, learn from them, and earn his spot as a leader with time. Guys like Keenan Allen, D.J. Moore, Tremaine Edmunds, Montez Sweat, and Jaylon Johnson should handle leadership duties well enough. Williams will be able to make his voice heard once he starts backing it up on the field. That is how it has always been for young players in this league.
Still, he is the quarterback, and that comes with an automatic degree of sway in the locker room. Players must listen to him because he controls the football more than anybody. They will put their trust in his hands. This is nothing new to Caleb Williams. His handling of rookie minicamps was a good example. He didn’t look excited or overwhelmed. It was just another practice for him. Every time there was a miscue, he spoke with teammates about corrections, asked coaches questions, and kept working.
No distractions. No media tour. It’s all about football.
