It was seen as a no-brainer for the Chicago Bears to select Caleb Williams with the first pick of the 2024 NFL Draft – but who is the man considered the team’s savior and the sport’s next big star?
In a word, he is different. Not just with his talent on the field, but also with his personality off it, and a larger-than-life personality is exactly what is needed to turn around this declining franchise.
Bears fans hope to look back on this pick for years to come as the turning point for a team without a Super Bowl since the famous 1985 season, without a play-off victory since 2010 and without much hope since.
There have been false dawns and near misses, but the Bears, the NFL’s second-oldest team with nine overall championships, have never had a star quarterback in modern times.
Now their dreams are with a 22-year-old who in college football could do just about anything — and all eyes will be on him come the season opener in September.
What type of quarterback is Williams?
Starting at Oklahoma, Williams transferred to the University of Southern California (USC) and easily won the Heisman Trophy as the best college football player in his freshman year at USC in 2021.
The team struggled more last year, but Williams still shined as not only one of the best dual-threat defenders, but also as one who simply doesn’t give up the ball.
Williams totaled 10,082 passing yards and 93 touchdowns in his three years of college – throwing just 14 interceptions – along with 960 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns on the ground.
Add in the fact that Williams can extend plays and throw just as well while scrambling as he can in the pocket — think Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers on the run — and he’s got NFL talent evaluators salivating over his skill set.
In crucial third and fourth down situations, he took his game to an elite level, throwing 199 passes without an interception, while in the red zone he threw 46 touchdowns and lost the ball just once.
“One of the most talented quarterbacks I’ve ever evaluated,” said the former NFL quarterback and now TV analyst Chris Simms. “One of the greatest pitchers in college football history.”
What makes Williams so good?
Williams is one of the most marketable sports stars in the US – without even playing in the NFL yet. Even in college, he earned up to $10 million (£8 million) in endorsement deals.
Always willing to do things his way, he has his own style — like his pink phone case and painted nails while watching the NCAA women’s basketball tournament.
A video of Williams crying with his mother after USC lost to Washington last year also went viral — something he later used as part of his mental health advocacy.
“I give my all on every play, every chance I get. I have been an advocate for mental health, show your emotions and express yourself,” Williams said in response on social media.
And true to his word, Williams has his own foundation called Caleb careswhich focuses on mental health, combating bullying and empowering young people.
He’s the first true millionaire college star to enter the NFL, which some say means he won’t have the same hunger — but he’s shown how passionate he can be and seems certain to give everything he has to bring success to the Chicago Bears. .
Why Williams Can Revive the Bears
For sleeping giants, read Bears in Hibernation. The 105-year-old team is one of two original NFL teams still in existence, but it is hungry for recent success.
The Bears have won nine NFL championships – although only one of them was a Super Bowl – won the second-most games in NFL history and have the most players inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Only one of them was a true franchise quarterback — and the fact that it was Sid Luckman 85 years ago shows why fans are desperate for Williams to fill that painful void.
The team drafted Mitchell Trubisky with the second overall pick in 2017 — famously surpassing Mahomes — and Justin Fields with the 11th pick in 2021, but neither panned out.
However, they went all-in on Williams, as the only quarterback they received from Chicago during the pre-draft process, and provided their new star receiving targets.
Rome Odunze was selected with the ninth overall pick in this year’s draft and veteran six-time Pro Bowler Keenan Allen arrived as a free agent.
Along with a new stadium on the way, Chicago could finally have hope for the future — but a lot rests on the talented shoulders of its new quarterback.
