NEWSLETTER
NFL training camps are opening their doors later this month. As we build up to that, you can expect to see all sorts of lists forecasting the year to come. With that in mind, I reckon we’ll see a bunch of players from the new-look Chicago Bears making a variety of different lists.
And, of course, this means you’ll likely see Bears quarterback Caleb Williams atop any (if not all) list rattling off rookie rankings.
For instance, NFL Media’s Chad Reuter lists Caleb Williams on his All-Rookie Team. In an attempt to piece together a collection of instant-impact first-year players on offense, Reuter name-checks Williams as his top QB. This is what Reuter had to say about Caleb’s placement on the squad:
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.
For all the discussion about the Bears providing their rookie quarterback with a soft landing spot, I hadn’t spent much time thinking about comparable situations. Had I done so, Justin Herbert’s rookie season with the Los Angeles Chargers would’ve shot to the top of my mind.
Herbert, who was a projected top pick during different points throughout his college career at Oregon, went sixth overall to the Chargers. Falling behind Joe Burrow (Bengals) and Tua Tagovailoa (Dolphins) on draft boards turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Herbert, who got to hit the ground running with Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and Austin Ekeler headlining the skill position players on offense. Given a stable situation and a collection of quality pass-catchers, Herbert compelted 66.6 percent of his passes, threw for 4,336 yards and tossed 31 touchdowns while throwing only 10 interceptions. Impressive stuff.
What should we expect from Caleb Williams in his first year as Chicago Bears quarterback?
To be clear, I don’t expect Caleb Williams to put up Justin Herbert numbers as a Bears rookie. Would it be fun? Sure. Am I rooting for it? Absolutely. But putting otherworldly expectations on a Bears quarterback has come back to bite us (as a collective fan base) in the past. Frankly, I don’t want to hurt like that again. Surely, you don’t want to hurt like that again either. However, that won’t stop me from dreaming of a Chicago Bears first-year signal caller reaching those markers. After all, hope springs eternal this time of year. And I imagine those hopes will reach new heights once we get our eyes on caleb at training camp.
Earlier, we took a look at what Caleb has to do in order to re-write the Chicago Bears record books for passing. In short, the bar to clear is painfully low. The Bears, as a franchise, have never been known for developing quarterbacks. Hence, the numbers are what they are for this franchise at the game’s most important position. Williams should clear them with ease. And because this team is being run in a starkly different fashion than previous regimes, it should give Caleb Williams a puncher’s chance at putting his name at the top of Bears quarterbacking record books.
Again, this shouldn’t be all that difficult. But this is the Bears we’re talking about and we know that, when it comes to passing the ball, everything is difficult.
