Bears pinpoint special trait that shows Caleb Williams is ‘ready’ to start NFL ascension vs. Titans originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
LAKE FOREST, Ill. — When rookie quarterback Caleb Williams takes the field Sunday against the Tennessee Titans at Soldier Field, the Bears will get their first official glimpse at what they hope life is like for the next decade-plus.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles and the staff have been enamored with Williams since they first met him at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine. The 2022 Heisman Trophy winner’s talent jumped off the tape, and he quickly checked the necessary character boxes to become the No. 1 overall pick.
The Bears have spent the past eight months preparing Williams and the 2024 team to get out of the blocks fast this fall. They added elite skill talent around Williams, hired a top-level teacher in offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, and asked the rookie quarterback to spend the summer sharpening his skills against a defense with blue-chip talent at all three levels.
“He’s ready,” safety Jaquan Brisker said Wednesday at Halas Hall.
Williams had ups and downs during training camp and the preseason, but the “wow” plays far outweighed the bumps in the road.
Those inside Halas Hall have spent the summer raving about Williams’ on-field talent and ability to quickly digest and store information in the classroom.
But it’s how Williams has handled himself between the lines and in the locker room that earned him captain honors as a rookie. That’s also why everyone universally believes the moment and expectations won’t be too big for him.
“His poise,” defensive end Montez Sweat said Thursday at Halas Hall when asked why he’s confident Williams will succeed. “Most rookie quarterbacks, they are nervous and you can kind of tell. He doesn’t have that factor. He’s just like everybody else in the building.”
“I’m very confident,” guard Teven Jenkins said. “He’s been showing me that he’s a great leader and great quarterback ever since he’s got here. I have the utmost respect for who he is and how he plays.”
The Bears understand the outside noise around Williams will be deafening this season. That’s life with a No. 1 pick many deem a “generational” talent.
But the Bears won’t set any sort of benchmarks — statistical or otherwise — for Williams in Year 1.
They just want him to be where his feet are and let his natural ability take over. If he does that, they believe the end result will be exactly what they need in Year 1 of the “Williams era.”
“We’re not going to live in the world of expectations or predictions down the line because I think hard work pays off,” Waldron said. “That’s our mindset. And so if he keeps improving, keeps working hard with the players around him and the trust in himself and everyone around him, I think the results will show for themselves.”
Williams said he’ll take a 360-degree turn when he comes through the tunnel Sunday to take in a moment he has worked his whole life to make a reality.
Then, he’ll set his sights on everything he hopes comes next as the face of the Bears.
‘Take it all in and feel the the energy, the vibe and get going from there,” Williams said Wednesday. “Once I do my spin and get down to the sideline, it’s go time.”
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