Caleb Williams knows he needs to learn quickly. To help with this, the highly-touted rookie will rely on his past experiences.
The Chicago Bears are set to play the Tennessee Titans in their first game of the season on Sunday, and the attention on the quarterback picked first in the draft will be even greater now.
“The ability to learn fast, I think that has grown over time,” Williams said on Wednesday. “Obviously being in a bunch of different games, seeing a bunch of different films and things like that, I think that has helped. … In high school I was a little bit more under center, I had a few more play-actions from under center and things like that.
In college, I was a little bit more spread throwing the ball around a lot more and seeing a bunch of different concepts of space and all these different things.
So I’ve gotten a bunch of different types of playing throughout my years, and I think that has helped me tremendously to be able to learn this offense.” Now, it’s time to see how everything comes together.
The Bears have been looking forward to this moment ever since they traded quarterback Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers in March. This move allowed them to draft Williams, who won the 2022 Heisman Trophy from Southern California.
No rookie quarterback in Chicago has faced this much excitement. The Bears haven’t drafted a player with the No. 1 overall pick since 1947, when George Halas chose Oklahoma A&M halfback Bob Fenimore despite a knee injury that ended his senior season.
Fenimore, an All-American, lasted only one year in the NFL. Chicago’s only other No. 1 pick was Michigan halfback Tom Harmon in 1941, another Heisman Trophy winner.
In recent years, under former general manager Ryan Pace, Chicago drafted Mitchell Trubisky and Fields with high picks. Both were seen more as projects rather than ready players, and neither developed as the Bears had hoped.
With Williams, things seem different. At least, that’s how it looks.
From the very beginning, Williams has impressed the Bears not just with his strong arm and his ability to throw while moving, but also with his overall attitude and cheerful personality. He has done everything right, to the point that his teammates selected him as one of eight team captains.
“I’m extremely grateful,” Williams said. “I can’t really think of how many rookies are captains, especially with a team so talented like this. With a lot of, I guess you can say vet guys.
We’re a pretty young team but we obviously have a good amount of vets on this team, so to be named a captain by my peers and colleagues, my teammates and my friends and brothers I’m extremely grateful, extremely happy.”
Williams threw for 93 touchdowns and 14 interceptions over three seasons at Oklahoma and USC. He had impressive numbers the last two years with the Trojans, with 72 TD passes and 10 INTs.
Williams knows that his passing opportunities won’t last as long in the NFL. Meanwhile, the Bears are hoping for a long period of success with him as their quarterback.
Chicago has a combined record of 10-24 in two seasons under general manager Ryan Poles and coach Matt Eberflus. But after winning seven games last season, the Bears are aiming higher.
Williams has plenty of targets, including six-time Pro Bowler Keenan Allen and No. 9 pick Rome Odunze, who join DJ Moore at wide receiver. The Bears also have two tight ends who can catch passes, Cole Kmet and Gerald Everett.
“I wouldn’t rather be with another guy right now than Caleb,” said Allen, who was traded from the Los Angeles Chargers. “He’s gotten better ever since we started. The confidence is through the roof.”
He mentioned that Williams is ahead of where Justin Herbert was when he started with the Chargers in 2020, where Herbert threw for over 4,300 yards as a rookie.
The Bears are the only team that hasn’t had a quarterback pass for 4,000 yards. Williams will be aiming to change that.
On Sunday, Williams will begin this challenge with all eyes on him.
“Well, when feet touch the grass it’s going to be business as usual,” Williams said. “But I normally like to, when I run out the stadium, kind of do a little spin in the tunnel, when I’m coming out the tunnel, just kind of see the stadium, take it all in and feel the energy, the vibe, and get going from there. Once I do my spin and get down to the sideline, it’s gone time.”
