LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Caleb Williams is ready for what comes next.
The No. 1 overall draft pick and 2022 Heisman Trophy winner is embracing the spotlight in Chicago after playing a starring role in Hollywood as the quarterback at USC. All eyes will be on him when the Bears begin training camp Saturday.
“I’ve kind of put myself in this position many times before I became a Chicago Bear on the 25th of April,” Williams said Friday.
The Bears are banking on Williams to give them a big lift and solidify a position that has historically been a sore spot for the founding NFL franchise. But he's also in a rather rare situation for a No. 1 pick, joining a team that's one of the league's shiny objects at the moment.
The Bears made several big moves to boost their offense and have their sights set on making the playoffs, something they've done just three times since the 2006 Super Bowl season. They're also trying to secure funding to build an enclosed lakefront stadium, though they could turn their attention back to a tract of land they own in suburban Arlington Heights, Illinois, if a deal doesn't go through. With all those storylines, they'll have HBO's “Hard Knocks” cameras following them during camp.
There's quite a buzz for a team with a 10-24 record in two seasons under general manager Ryan Poles and coach Matt Eberflus. But after going 7-10 last season, the Bears have their sights set higher.
“We have our vision and stuff and we try to work towards that every single day that we get, every single day that I get, and making sure I’m putting myself in the right position that I’m getting in early,” Williams said. “I’m going over film, I’m going over the plays, getting all the details that I can, trying to figure out the whys on why we run this, when we are running it and things like that.”
Williams brings an impressive resume after throwing for 93 touchdowns and just 14 interceptions during three seasons at Oklahoma and Southern California and winning the Heisman Trophy, and he figures to have no shortage of targets in Chicago.
The Bears acquired six-time Pro Bowler Keenan Allen in a blockbuster trade with the Los Angeles Chargers, giving them another veteran playmaking wide receiver to go with DJ Moore. They also drafted Washington All-American Rome Odunze with the No. 9 overall pick. Throw in tight ends Cole Kmet and Gerald Everett, and Williams figures to have options.
“It’s really just to maximize his ability,” Poles said. "I think I want to see him just leaning on the talent around him as well. I think it’s got to be comforting to know you don’t have to do everything on your own, which makes it a pretty good situation for a young quarterback. There’s going to be adversity and I just want to see him lean on all of us to get through those moments, and then when you’re clicking and in the zone that those high moments are high and we just continue to learn and continue to get better every single week and every single day.”
Eberflus said he expects Williams to take about 45 to 55 snaps over four preseason games, adding that’s what Carolina’s Bryce Young, Houston’s C.J. Stroud and Indianapolis’ Anthony Richardson got after being drafted in the first round last year. But the plan could change based on the health of the offense.
The Bears meet the Texans in the Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio, on Aug. 1. Their season opener is against Tennessee at Soldier Field on Sept. 8, and there is plenty of work to do between now and then if they’re going to live up to the hype surrounding the team.
Williams has said and done all the right things since the Bears drafted him. It wasn't just his arm and legs that stood out during offseason workouts.
“Straight off the bat, he’s just a leader,” Moore said. “He took control of the huddle. His arm talent was amazing. I think that’s what stood out to everybody. And him trying to make all those throws this offseason in OTAs was like, ‘Dang, he really just made that.' Or 'he just did that on the run.’ It was amazing to see. I’m looking forward to seeing it in full speed against the defense with pads and stuff. So I’m looking forward to it.”
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