Hearing Bears GM Ryan Poles talking about rookie quarterback Caleb Williams sparked a thought in my head. Admittedly, it is a bit of a journey. But I promise that if you hang with me it’ll all tie together at the end.
One thing I’ve been working on with my therapist is reeling myself in and keeping myself from biting off more than I can chew. That, in conjunction with allowing myself to let people who want to help do so, is essentially the next notable step in my own personal journey of growth.
I use that anecdote as a lead-in because I felt as if there were parallels while listening to the Bears general manager share what he wants to see from his rookie signal caller.
This is what the Bears general manager had to say about what he envisions for Caleb Williams early on (with some accompanying video via Marquee):
"I want him to lean on the talent around him. And, when the time is right โฆ thatโs when you do the special (things)."
Ryan Poles on Caleb Williams. pic.twitter.com/jDU3pfR001— Marquee Bears (@BearsMarquee) August 28, 2024
“I want him to lean on the talent around him and then when the time is rightโand that’s an instinctual thing and I think that plays right into himโthat’s when you do the special. And balancing that. Sometimes it’s going to get out of whack one way or the other, but always come back to that. It’s kind of like that neutral place where he’s at his best, and I think he has that just from studying him and watching years of tape on him.
“He has that ability, and so I think that’s kind of the big thing. Lean on the guys around him. Be instinctual. Let those plays happen at the right time.”
Do you see what I was getting at with the parallels when it comes to leaning on others? Sometimes, folks try to do too much and it ends up biting them in the behind. I’m as guilty of it as anyone. But I know I’m not alone in doing it. As football fans, we’ve definitely seen it happen on the playing surface โ especially with young quarterbacks who are eager to lift their respective teams to new heights. Caleb Williams is human. There will be a time when he tries to do too much. What Poles is getting at is that he can always lean on his teammates in a pinch. That’s a reassuring feeling to have.
Caleb Williams has great expectations
To say that Chicago’s QB1 enters the 2024 season with great expectations following him feels like I’m putting it lightly when the reality is that sometimes plainly stating something truly drives home a point.
Caleb Williams arrives in Chicago as the No. 1 overall pick after winning a Heisman Trophy at USC, putting up eye-popping numbers with the Trojans and the Oklahoma Sooners, and having been a top-flight quarterback prospect since he was in high school. In other words, Caleb has always been That Dude as a prospect and has exceeded expectations at every turn. Hence, there is a feeling deep in the guts of Bears fans that has all of us feeling that the same can happen in Chicago. And while it very well could, we need to understand that there are going to be some growing pains along the way.
Even Bears Chairman George McCaskey acknowledged that as he preaches patience with Chicago’s rookie quarterback. But still … I am going to dream big when it comes to QB1. And I won’t stop you from doing the same. However, I must acknowledge that for Caleb Williams to reach the highs we think he can get to, he’ll need to lean on his teammates. No quarterback โ even the best of all time โ ever does it by themselves. Thankfully, Ryan Poles has done a quality job surrounding his quarterback with talent.
This is what the Bears offense looks like going into the 2024 season:
- WR1 DJ Moore: A player so good that Sam Darnold put up a 109.3 passer rating when targeting him in 2022 when both players were on the Carolina Panthers. I’m already dreaming of what it looks like when Caleb Williams is throwing him the pigskin.
- WR2 Keenan Allen: One of the best rรฉsumรฉs around is highlighted by six Pro Bowls and 2017 AP Comeback Player of the Year award. Allen also has experience in aiding a rookie QB in their first season. You saw what he did with Justin Herbert, right?
- WR3 Rome Odunze: This rookie prospect is so hot that he already has a hot dog named in his honor. But also, Odunze is coming off consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons. In a different draft, he’d have been WR1 with an argument to go first overall.
- TE1 Cole Kmet: Despite his deficiencies as a passer, former Bears QB Justin Fields put up a 115.4 quarterback rating when targeting Kmet last season. Now, imagine what Kmet could do with someone whose strengths include passing accuracy.
- RBs D’Andre Swift and Khalil Herbert: Swift is coming off a Pro Bowl season, while Herbert is just one year removed from having the highest yards per carry average among running backs. Caleb Williams could benefit from leaning on the run game early.
- LT Braxton Jones, RT Darnell Wright: I haven’t mentioned lately that the Bears boast two of the top tackles in football, so I’m glad I was able to change that with this post.
Caleb Williams has a lot going for him that other Bears quarterbacks weren’t fortunate to have at their disposal. Hopefully, he’ll take advantage of it.