People are trying to determine what the Chicago Bears will be with Caleb Williams at quarterback in 2024. Most see them as a legitimate contender for a wild card playoff spot. Even as a rookie, Williams should be at least as good as Justin Fields was last year. Given the array of talent around him, he should be better. The Bears went 7-10 last season and could’ve gone 9-8 if not for some 4th quarter collapses. On paper, this team is better. However, Rich Eisen is thinking much bigger.
During his show, the longtime analyst and NFL Network host believes the Bears are capable of much more. He thinks this team has the necessary talent across the board for a deep playoff run. How deep? Well, let him say it.
In NFL history, only six quarterbacks have reached a conference championship game. Dieter Brock was the first in 1985, followed by Shaun King in 1999, Ben Roethlisberger in 2004, Joe Flacco in 2008, Mark Sanchez in 2009, and Brock Purdy in 2022. No rookie has ever reached the Super Bowl. King was the closest, losing an 11-6 nail-biter to the Rams in the NFC championship.
Caleb Williams has a better setup than all of those quarterbacks.
It starts with his offensive supporting cast. It includes two bonafide Pro Bowl receivers, D.J. Moore and Keenan Allen. They are joined by 9th overall pick Rome Odunze. Cole Kmet is easily a top-10 tight end in the league. D’Andre Swift cracked 1,000 yards rushing last season, and the offensive line appears deeper and more stable than it’s been in years. Then you move over to the defense. A Pro Bowl player represents each unit. Montez Sweat is on the defensive line. Tremaine Edmunds is at linebacker. Jaylon Johnson is in the secondary. This is a talented, athletic, and confident unit. All of it is controlled by head coach Matt Eberflus, who has proven to be one of the better playcallers in the league.
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Caleb Williams doesn’t have to be a star for this team to win a lot of games. He only has to be good enough. None of those previous quarterbacks were stellar on their way to the conference title games. They merely made enough key plays when it mattered. Williams has the intelligence and creativity to do that. He has said his goal is to catch Tom Brady in the championship counter. What better way to start the pursuit than by reaching a Super Bowl in his first year?
