It finally happened. On the final day for all prospects to do so, USC quarterback Caleb Williams officially declared for the 2024 NFL draft. Now, the work begins for this coming April. The Chicago Bears hold the #1 pick. They will dictate how things go. GM Ryan Poles made it clear he plans to study and meet with every prominent quarterback in the class. He understands the opportunity in front of him. While Justin Fields has improved, he hasn’t shown enough to think he is anywhere close to true franchise material. If Williams, Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, or somebody else makes a big impression, a change is likely coming.
Most experts and insiders still believe Williams is the heavy favorite. However, some have suggested there is uncertainty inside his camp about the idea of joining the Bears. Their quarterback legacy isn’t exactly stellar. Some even suggested he may pull a John Elway/Eli Manning and declare he won’t play for Chicago. The official announcement on social media indicated that this is not the case. Peek the last line in Ian Rapoport’s post on X.
That feels like a carefully-worded statement, if ever there was one.
Williams’ representatives want to clarify that the QB would embrace the idea of playing for Chicago. The intrigue doesn’t stop there. Shortly after the announcement, it was also revealed that Williams would be working with Rich Scangarello of the QB Collective to help prepare for his transition to the pros. Here’s where it gets fun. Scangarello has bounced around the NFL as a quarterbacks coach. Most of that time was spent working under Kyle Shanahan in Atlanta and San Francisco—the same man who runs the offensive system Chicago does.
Usayd Koshul of 247Sports added more to that by revealing the array of coaches who have worked with the QB Collective in recent years. See if you notice a pattern.
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Caleb Williams is preparing to audition for the Bears.
Or at least it’s hard not to see it that way. He knows who holds the #1 pick. He knows which team he has to impress. What better way to do that than getting a head start on the likely offensive philosophy he’ll need to learn at the next level? That is smart. He will be well-prepared for when the Bears run him through drills during meetings in the next couple of months. From there, the only thing he has to do is make a good impression during interviews. Poles will ask him some hard questions, wanting to see how he handles the pressure.
Maybe this is reading too much into things. It is hard to imagine the Bears have already decided Caleb Williams is their guy. Still, he seems more than prepared to make that reality with how he launched himself into the off-season. He’s saying the right things and working with the right people. It comes down to whether Poles believes he has what it takes to finally elevate this franchise to a championship level.
