Expectations are high for Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, who now carries the weight of decades of Chicago quarterback woes.
But the pressure is nothing new for Williams, who made it clear long before he was drafted by the Bears that he’s looking to rewrite history and leave a lasting impression on the game.
Although, like with anything, it’s going to take time as Williams acclimates from the college to the pro game. But even at this point of the offseason, his new teammates have noticed him making strides.
During an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio, tight end Cole Kmet praised Williams and talked about his progress during OTAs.
“You can see why he’s been so successful thus far in his football career and why he has those types of intangibles to succeed in the NFL,” Kmet said. “I’m really excited for him. He’s been putting in a lot of work and you can see the progress he was making throughout the OTA period.”
"He's really just a normal dude…"
Cole Kmet on getting to know Caleb Williams and what he saw from him during OTA's#DaBears I @ChicagoBears I @ColeKmet
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— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) June 27, 2024
Despite Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud’s success during his rookie season, it’s not the norm in the NFL. But if there’s a rookie quarterback who’s in a position to have the kind of success Stroud had last year, it’s Williams.
The Bears have done everything they can to put Williams in a position to succeed, and he enters the league in perhaps the best situation ever for a No. 1 pick QB. Chicago has an arsenal of weapons at his disposal, including receivers DJ Moore, Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze, along with an improved offensive line and a potential top-10 defense.
No one’s expecting perfection from Williams right out of the gate, but he’s in a position to do what quarterbacks before him have failed to do: Establish himself as the Bears’ franchise QB.