As if the weight of being the next Bears quarterback and knowing everyone is counting on him to thrive where others have wilted isn’t heavy enough, Caleb Williams will begin his rookie season knowing his every move and word will be recorded by HBO as possible material for “Hard Knocks.”
It’s incredible pressure and scrutiny. And he seems totally fine with it.
Beyond the thrill of the Bears landing the best quarterback prospect of the last three draft classes, they’ve added a unique personality who could carry them into a new era on and off the field.
It’s a lot to ask, and at every turn, Williams seems totally ready for it.
“I’ve put myself in this position many times before I became a Chicago Bear,” he said Friday as the full roster reported to Halas Hall in advance of the start of training camp. “It’s just seeing it before it happens. Just keep progressing. Understand the position I am in and keep going.”
Williams is a refreshing departure from recent Bears history, in which Justin Fields was hypersensitive about saying anything headline-worthy and Mitch Trubisky talked about turning off the televisions in the building.
Williams is so comfortable with his role that fellow rookie Rome Odunze had to hold him off as they sat at the podium.
Caleb on his new responsibilities: pic.twitter.com/YOXOtkYAJb
— Patrick Finley (@patrickfinley) July 19, 2024
“This is my question,” Odunze said when one finally came his way. “Don’t butt in, bro.”
Williams begins his career with far more hype — and hope — than Fields or Trubisky. Skeptics booed Trubisky at his first public appearance after the Bears drafted him No. 2 in 2017, and Fields was the fourth quarterback drafted in 2021.
Williams, conversely, is widely viewed as simply too talented to fail. Plus, he walks into an arguably unprecedented situation for such a high draft pick as Bears general manager Ryan Poles completes his rebuild.
Even for the Bears, who have a reputation for finding a way to mess up anything, it’s difficult to envision this failing.
“He’s a really bright kid,” Poles said of Williams. “He has the [charisma] when you see him interact with his teammates and have relationships with everybody — very mature in the way he approaches things.
“The thing that stands out the most, that gets everyone excited is … the kid’s a grinder and wants to be great, but it’s always nice to see the work ethic match the desire to be great.”
Williams plays unconventionally, having made his name as a dangerous off-platform, odd-angle passer at USC, and is an outside-the-box thinker in general.
He and Poles dodged questions about reports that he made unusual requests in contract negotiations such as to be paid as an LLC, to have his salary issued as a forgivable loan and a provision barring the Bears from using the franchise tag on him. Williams said negotiations went late Sunday and Monday night to agree on the four-year $39.5 million deal with a fifth-year team option.
“It’s very common for different things to be asked for in the very beginnings of negotiations, so it wasn’t anything shocking,” Poles said. “I’m glad it worked out and [was] pretty standard.”
Williams added, “The ink is dried and we’re past that point. … Definitely learned a lot throughout this whole process for the next ones. Can’t wait to get it going.”
It’s critical to keep in mind that every move Williams makes now doesn’t necessarily signal something about his future. The next contract negotiation is years away. A lot certainly will change between now and then.
It’s true on the field, too. Bears fans don’t want to believe it, but Williams will inevitably have some rough days in practice coming up. He’ll also likely have some rough games when the season starts. Great quarterbacks often aren’t great right away.
“I’m the toughest on myself, [but] I’ll go out there and I’ll mess up a play,” Williams said. “I’ve thrown a pick in minicamp and things like that. I’m being tough on myself, but also having an understanding of where we are and where I am.
“The progression is key. Those bad times, it’s not a time to have self-doubt. That’s just a waste of time. It’s a time to keep growing, keep progressing and keep believing in yourself.”
Part of the plan to prepare him for the Sept. 8 opener against the Titans is to play Williams 45-65 snaps in preseason games, the first of which is Aug. 1. Coach Matt Eberflus decided that based on 2023 rookies Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson getting similar workloads.
In the meantime, Williams isn’t asking for patience. It’s actually the first time in a long time the Bears as an organization aren’t asking for patience.
But this is a sensible time to give them some.
Drafting Williams was a big-picture play. If it goes well, he’ll be the Bears’ quarterback for the next decade and beyond, so while training camp provides some clues as to where he’s headed, it’s a small segment of his timeline.
The start of the Williams era already has been fun, but ideally, it’s just the start.