Caleb Williams is ready to show what he can do. The quarterback chosen first in the draft will make his eagerly awaited debut when the Chicago Bears play the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.
“I’m excited to see him,” Bears coach Matt Eberflus said. “And I’m looking forward to relying on his teammates. That’s important for a quarterback. He has experienced players around him.”
Right now, the Bears are a team to watch. With the former Heisman Trophy winner from Southern California as their quarterback and several other key offensive additions, they were an easy pick for HBO’s “Hard Knocks.”
Williams is seen as a special talent who could strengthen a position that has been a problem for the team.
He will also try to change a recent trend where quarterbacks picked first overall in the draft have struggled in their debut games. The last 15 such quarterbacks had a combined record of 0-14-1 in their first starts, starting with Carson Palmer in 2003.
Williams’ arrival isn’t the only reason the Bears are looking for better results after going 10-24 in the first two years under general manager Ryan Poles and coach Eberflus.
They traded for six-time Pro Bowler Keenan Allen and selected Rome Odunze with the No. 9 pick to create a potentially strong receiving trio with DJ Moore, who is returning.
They also added Montez Sweat to their defense during the season, and now the Bears are aiming higher after finishing 7-10 last season.
On the other side, Tennessee’s Brian Callahan will be making his debut as a head coach. Hired to improve one of the NFL’s weakest offenses, Callahan comes from Cincinnati, where he was the offensive coordinator for five years. The Titans struggled in total offense, passing, and scoring, ending the season with a 6-11 record.
