GM Ryan Poles said something that felt important during his end-of-year press conference. He understands the Chicago Bears need a quarterback before they start thinking about contending for championships. However, he also knows not every QB is built the same. He pointed out the necessity of finding a player who can handle the pressure of being a quarterback in Chicago. It is not the same compared to other locations. It is a big city with a vast media reach and rabid fans. That creates a ton of pressure that many guys would never be able to handle. Is Caleb Williams one of those guys?
Plenty of people with close ties to him suggest the USC standout’s biggest strength isn’t his natural talent. It is his ravenous competitive streak. Take what his high school coach, Randy Trivers, had to say about him on 670 The Score.
“Don’t ever get it twisted. This guy is foremost a competitor that truly loves football. So whatever the perception somebody may have, this guy is a football junky.”
Former Chicago Tribune writer Teddy Greenstein wrote a book covering Williams’ rise from high school through college. He encountered an interesting story about the young QB going back to when he was 11 years old. He told CHGO that it was after a loss that Williams first showed how passionate he was about the game and how deadset he became on achieving greatness.
Former NFL quarterback Brock Huard has covered several USC games as an analyst for FOX. His brother also works as the inside wide receivers coach on the staff. He’s heard nothing but good things about Williams as a teammate from his vantage point. He also thinks having the spotlight on him for three full years now has prepared him well for a big challenge like Chicago.
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Caleb Williams will only go as far as the structure around him.
Part of the problem for Chicago over the year has been their inability to build a stable foundation for their quarterbacks. Jay Cutler had several different offensive coordinators and mostly bad offensive lines. Mitch Trubisky saw his head coach get fired after one season. Fields saw the same thing happen a few years later. The Bears are hoping they won’t have to do that again with the next guy. They’ve built a solid supporting cast headlined by wide receiver D.J. Moore, tight end Cole Kmet, and tackles Darnell Wright and Braxton Jones. Another solid receiver would set things up perfectly for a young quarterback.
The big question is whether the Bears can put together a competent offensive staff. This has remained a constant challenge for them over the years. If Caleb Williams is their guy, then finding an offensive coordinator who can work to his strengths makes the most sense. Chicago has met with nine separate candidates so far. That number could increase going into next week. They are casting a wide net to ensure they’ve done their homework. It is clear they want to get it right this time.
