Caleb Williams faced a difficult task when the Chicago Bears drafted him. Yes, there was the ugly franchise history at the position. Quarterbacks always seem to come here to die. Many have tried to alter the team’s fate. All have failed to varying degrees. It isn’t an easy situation to step into. However, the more immediate issue was two-fold. Williams had to replace Justin Fields, who’d become liked and respected in the Bears locker room. He also came in with a reputation for being a me-first guy, more interested in his success than his teammates’.
Over the past few weeks, players have gotten a chance to know Williams. It didn’t take them long to realize the reports about his personality were horribly misconstrued. Some would even go so far as to call it outright slander. One person who isn’t happy about it is DeMarcus Walker. He spoke to the media on Monday about his new quarterback. The defensive lineman didn’t pull any punches, calling out the media for painting the kid in a light that was both unfair and untrue. He sees an excellent teammate with special ability.
“I don’t like how the media made him … not you guys, I’m talking about the LA guys … just the mainstream LA media monster. I don’t like how they made him this type of primadonna type thing and that type of stuff. You’ve got to know this kid. Sit down and talk with him in the cafeteria and all this stuff, it’s just like nah. Sit down and get to know him. You know? Nah. Good kid, man. I can’t wait to see what he does. Special arm talent and this offense has so many good weapons around him, sky’s the limit for that kid.”
That is no small feat, considering where things were when he first arrived. Several veterans weren’t thrilled about the decision to move on from Fields. There could’ve easily been some tension and even hostility if the quarterback handled things the wrong way. Instead, over the course of a few months, he has everybody on the same page. He’s only interested in one thing: winning. Guys will rally around you fast when you make that clear as the quarterback. Walker is a perfect example. He recognizes what the kid could potentially do for this team.
One can understand his protectiveness. The defensive end has played with some bad quarterbacks in his career between Denver, Houston, and Tennessee. Caleb Williams can and should become the best one he’s ever played with. This is a big deal as a guy who was used to winning in college. He doesn’t want anybody to screw it up for him, especially the media. If the #1 overall pick can inspire that from a defensive teammate, one can only imagine how the offensive guys feel.
