The Chicago Bears knew the decision at quarterback could define the next 5-10 years of their franchise. GM Ryan Poles held the #1 pick. It was the best opportunity his organization had been given to fix the position in years. Caleb Williams was the presumptive choice, according to most experts. The Bears had evaluated him thoroughly for the past two years. Talent wasn’t an issue. He had a combination of arm strength, accuracy, touch, and mobility that is hard to find. What they needed to find out was whether he had the personality to handle a locker room full of grown men.
So, Poles concocted a plan that involved some true cloak-and-dagger stuff. Remember the scene from Draft Day when Kevin Costner spoke to one of his scouts about Bo Callahan and how none of his teammates came to his birthday party? That was an obvious red flag. Poles intended to search for similar things on Williams. Albert Breer of the MMQB revealed the lengths the Bears went to in finding answers. What they found out was the young quarterback was almost universally beloved.
The GM instructed all of his personnel people going to all-star games in January to ask players who went to either Oklahoma or USC, or were from Williams’s hometown of Washington, D.C., about the quarterback. Poles also assigned one of his scouts to call opposing coaches in the Big 12 and Pac-12, and in particular defensive coordinators who game-planned against him.
“That’s where things started to turn,” Poles says. “You started to get this feedback from players at the all-star games who were like, ‘I love this guy. I was in a rut and he helped pull me out. He’s a dude. He’s selfless. He takes care of his teammates before he takes care of himself.’ Two opposing defensive coordinators: ‘We had to change everything before we played him.’ If you’re doing that, that tells you enough about the kid’s talent.
Nobody can say he’s the poster child for normal with all his unusual quirks. However, none of them make him a bad person. His love of football is beyond dispute. Every coach and teammate who has worked with him swears by his commitment to the team. Once it became clear the Bears wouldn’t find anything concerning, the decision became easy. Williams had the talent. He had the personality. There was nothing left to do but get him started on learning their offense while the draft approached.
Everybody knows what happened after that. Caleb Williams became the third 1st round quarterback the Bears took in the last seven years. They say the third time is the charm. At least one positive can be said about this. The process was rock solid. Poles and the current regime did their homework from every conceivable angle. They also built a good supporting cast in preparation for Williams’ arrival. If he flops in the NFL, it won’t be because the Bears didn’t do enough.
