Kliff Kingsbury spent last season helping get Caleb Williams ready for the NFL. Had the Bears wanted, he could have had a front-row view of it this year.
After being fired following four seasons as the Cardinals’ head coach, Kingsbury spent last season as a senior offensive assistant with Williams’ USC Trojans. Part of his job was sharing his NFL experience with the former Heisman Trophy winner, who was the presumptive No. 1 pick in the draft.
“That was big for me, being able to listen to him and obviously build a relationship with him knowing the QBs he’s been around and similarities in some of the offenses that I’ve been in —or the offense I was in in college,” the Bears’ rookie quarterback said this week. “It was great to have those moments with him. I think it’s helped me for these moments now.”
Kingsbury was impressed by what he saw at USC.
“Tremendous person, competitor, freaky talent. ,..,.,” he told Commanders reporters Thursday. “He’s going to be one of the top guys in the league for a lot of years. .,..
“Insane talent, with some of the freaky [Patrick] Mahomes-type throws he can make.”
It was that relationship — and his flashes of offensive success with the Cardinals — that prompted the Bears to interview Kingsbury and seven others for the offensive coordinator position that went to Shane Waldron in January.
Bears coach Matt Eberflus said the interview wasn’t as much a fact-finding mission about Williams as it was trying to learn as much as the Bears could about Kingsbury.
Kingsbury didn’t want to discuss specifics of the job interview Thursday — “Not gonna get into that, sorry,” he told reporters — but Williams remembers noticing that the Bears talked to him in January. The two communicated briefly about it at the time.
“I’ve always respected him, going against him over the years, and respect his offense and the way he finds space on the field, the way he’s committed to the run game,” Eberflus said.
After flirting with the Raiders, Kingsbury landed in Washington, D.C., to work under head coach Dan Quinn, who was once a finalist for the Bears head coaching job that went to Eberflus.
Kingsbury has become perhaps the hottest offensive coordinator in the sport.
Through seven weeks, the Commanders average 31.1 points per game, which is tied with the Ravens for the most in the NFL, and 384.1 yards, which is fourth.
Their 165.4 rushing yards per game ranks third and their 218.7 passing yards per game 13th.
The Commanders have won five games this season — one more than they did all last year.
Kingsbury’s secret is limiting the tendencies he puts on film. Bears defensive coordinator Eric Washington is amazed how he seems just as likely to run or pass in any given formation. It’s hard for opponents to guess what kind of plays Kingsbury calls based on the personnel that jogs onto the field.
Sunday, he proved that the Commanders’ offensive success wasn’t entirely dependent on quarterback Jayden Daniels. After he left the Panthers game with bruised ribs, veteran quarterback Marcus Mariota outscored the Panthers 27-7.
Like the Bears, the Commanders like to go no-huddle to help their young quarterback identify what the defense may do.
“Well, we have to do a really good job of making sure that we communicate and that we’re ready when the ball is snapped,” Washington said.
Williams and Kingsbury have texted during this season. Sunday, the two will get an up-close look at each other’s success.
“It’s been cool, building that relationship with him in college,” Williams said. “And then obviously being a pro about to go play against him.”