The Chicago Bears officially have their quarterback of the future.
After the Bears offloaded starting 2023 signal-caller Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a conditional sixth-round pick, fans and pundits alike started speculating that Chicago would be targeting USC Trojans star quarterback Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The speculation was spot-on. Williams, the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner, was just selected by Chicago after all, ahead of other elite prospects at his position in this draft. North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye and LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels are the other top quarterbacks this year, and both seem destined to come off the board soon, too.
Elsewhere in the draft, talents like Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy, Oregon’s Bo Nix, and Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. still pack plenty of upside at the quarterback position.
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But Williams was always seemingly destined to be the headliner of the draft. The 6-foot-1, 215-pound junior is viewed as an elite passer who can also bust out of the pocket and run when needed. During his Heisman season, he passed for a whopping 4,537 yards and 42 touchdowns, while also rushing for 382 yards and 10 touchdowns.
He powered the Trojans to an 11-3 record that year. USC ultimately fell, 46-45, in the Cotton Bowl Classic against Tulane.
In addition to the Heisman, Williams won the Maxwell Award and the Walter Camp Award, while also being named a unanimous All-American, the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year, the Associated Press College Football Player of the Year, and the Sporting News College Football Player of the Year.
Williams’ output regressed in 2023. Across 12 contests, he posted a 7-5 record (he sat out USC’s bowl game, a 42-28 Holiday Bowl victory over the Louisville Cardinals) while passing for 3,333 yards, completing 266-of-388 pass attempts, and notching 30 passing touchdowns. He also rushed for 142 yards and 11 touchdowns. He did post his best rating yet during his final NCAA season, however, notching a 170.1 rating.
The Bears now add probably their most talented quarterback since Sid Luckman (who played his final game in 1950). Throughout its storied history, Chicago has often prioritized team-building on the other side of the field, while frequently relying on talented running backs or wideouts to save sloppy, injury-prone quarterback play. That’s not to say the team hasn’t been trying to find its next generational talent at the position, after losing talented-but-flawed Pro Bowler Jay Cutler after the 2016 season.
The Bears drafted Mitchell Trubisky out of North Carolina with the No. 2 overall pick in 2017. Though he did make a Pro Bowl appearance and help guide the team to the playoffs, Trubisky eventually settled in as a journeyman backup. Chicago whiffed on picking future Kansas City Chiefs superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who was selected at No. 10 that year. Mahomes has won three Super Bowls and has already emerged as one of the greatest players of all time.
More recently, Chicago drafted Fields with the No. 11 pick out of Ohio State in 2021. Although he had some promising moments as a running quarterback, Fields struggled with timely decision-making throughout his Bears tenure. Now, he’ll compete with veteran Russell Wilson for the starting gig in Pittsburgh.
Bears fans should rejoice, knowing the team finally secured their can’t-miss QB1 talent of the future. After so many years in the passing wilderness, the Monsters of the Midway have landed a top talent at the game’s most important position.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.