Ryan Poles wasn’t stupid. He understood the challenge in front of him. Finding a talented quarterback isn’t difficult. Several come into the league with good size, mobility, and arm strength. The tricky part is finding the one with great accuracy and, more importantly, great mental toughness. Poles runs the Chicago Bears. They represent one of the most sports-crazed cities in the world. Bears fans are incredibly loyal and passionate, but they are also demanding. They will turn on you fast if they sense you’re not doing your job to their expectations. No players have felt that heat more over the years than the quarterbacks. Poles needed to find somebody who could handle that pressure. Ultimately, he went with Caleb Williams.
One person who believes that was the perfect call is league insider Tyler Dunne of Go Long. He spoke to several people who have scouted Williams going back his entire college career. These are guys from different organizations. All of them say the same thing. His passion for the game and fierce competitive nature make him ideally suited for handling the Chicago market.
“Break it down into thirds. Evaluation: this is a rare talent. They had the opportunity to draft him and they took him. Organizational dysfunction we touched on: this is as close to true alignment as we’ve seen in a long, long time. And the last third (playing in a tough Chicago market) is what should have you most excited. I think that Caleb Williams is equipped mentally with what is about to hit him. And it might sound crazy to say that after we see him sobbing in his mom’s arms after a loss to Washington, but people who have been around him, scouts who are ultra, ultra critical of this stuff who really get to know these guys through an authentic lens. They’re investigating these prospects. They say that’s a strength. They really view this as the first Gen-Z superstar.”
He does a lot of things people might not expect from a quarterback. He paints his nails before games, dresses at events, and listens to John Lennon during warmups. Some people might be turned off by such behavior. In reality, Bears history suggests it takes somebody with a screw or two loose to play quarterback in this town. Jim McMahon was notorious for doing all sorts of crazy stuff during his career. Jay Cutler had a rebellious attitude towards authority that never truly went away. Both handled the Chicago spotlight better than most.
While Caleb Williams isn’t exactly like them, he does exhibit many of the same traits. He is not a good soldier. The young man is comfortable in his own skin and has core beliefs that drive how he plays the game. He’s not afraid to share his opinion when necessary. Leading comes naturally to him. It’s not forced as it seemed with guys like Mitch Trubisky and Justin Fields. All of this didn’t turn off the Bears. They saw the same things other scouts did. It is actually a major strength of his game.
Their job is simple. Provide him with as much help as possible, then get out of his way.
