There’s a lot of hype surrounding Bears rookie Caleb Williams, who’s in a unique position to rewrite Chicago’s tortured quarterback history.
While Williams will surely experience his share of expected rookie struggles, he’s landed in arguably the best situation ever for a No. 1 pick quarterback as general manager Ryan Poles has surrounded him with an abundance of talent — both on offense and defense — to succeed.
NFL.com’s Chad Reuter revealed his projections for his 2024 All-Rookie Team, and it’s no surprise that Chicago’s rookie passer made the list given his situation.
Justin Herbert was the 2020 All-Rookie Team quarterback, aided by a strong trio of pass catchers in Keenan Allen, Mike Williams and Hunter Henry. Caleb Williams is walking into a similar situation. Allen is now in Chicago, where he joins the dynamic DJ Moore and No. 9 overall pick Rome Odunze. Cole Kmet and Herbert’s former teammate, Gerald Everett, will make some plays at tight end, as well, giving the top selection of the 2024 draft a great chance to be among the league’s most prolific passers as a rookie.
The Bears haven’t succeeded in developing quarterbacks in the past, but Poles has certainly approached things differently adding an arsenal of weapons, including DJ Moore, Keenan Allen and rookie Rome Odunze, along with shoring up the offensive line and building a potential top-10 defense.
While there’s no guarantee Williams will have the kind of success like Texans rookie C.J. Stroud last season, Chicago has certainly put him in a position to find early success as a rookie.