After an overhauled offseason and an undefeated preseason performance, expectations couldn't be higher for the Bears going into the 2024 season.
The bulk of the expectations will be on the shoulders (more accurately the right arm) of rookie quarterback Caleb Williams.
Williams looked sharp during his limited preseason action, but everyone knows things are different starting Week 1 of the regular season. Following Monday's practice, Williams top weapon on offense detailed what he's hoping to see from his QB.
“I just want him to go out there and play football for real, do what he’s been doing," wide receiver DJ Moore explained . "He’s a winner, so lead us to a win. Like everybody’s been saying, he’s got a bunch of weapons out there. Just go out there and point guard the ball like it’s basketball and he’ll be all right. I’m not too worried about him.”
Williams got another nod of approval to start off his Week 1 preparations after he was voted as one of the eight team captains going into the season, a decision Moore emphasized wasn't made by accident.
“He went out there and proved himself, took command of the offense," Moore said. "He started opening up. People saw that and we’re rocking with him.”
On Sunday against the Titans at Solider Field, the Bears aren't expecting Williams to be Superman. In fact, the team would rather him rely on the talented roster surrounding him to do the bulk of the heavy lifting during the game.
"I want him to lean on the talent around him and then when the time is right, that's when you do the special," general manager Ryan Poles said . "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 wild plays happen at the right time. We saw it in the preseason a little bit. That's going to be important."
Williams will have plenty of top weapons at his disposal to work with on Sunday including three incredible wide receivers, two sure-handed tight ends, and a dynamic back out of the backfield. His best advantage is going to be his defense, which finished as one of the top units in the league last season.
The leader of that unit is fifth-year cornerback, and one of the newly appointed team captains, Jaylon Johnson. Johnson is coming off a career year but isn't buying into any of the hype surrounding the Bears squad until they prove it on the field first.
"I mean, for me, I'm done buying into the hype, honestly," Johnson explained. "I mean, I feel like I've said it plenty of times. I've had some pretty good rosters and plenty of talented people in the locker rooms. Sometimes where, 'Oh yeah, this is our year. This is our year.' So I mean everything we have in this locker room sounds good, it seems good, but I've seen it, but at the end of the day, none of that matters...
What matters is what we're going to do this weekend and from every Sunday or Monday, whatever game it is. That's when it matters. So I mean, the preseason hype for me don't move me. I mean Caleb, I mean everybody, we all have to come in here, and we got to work. I mean, just top to bottom, myself, I mean, new contract year, that don't mean nothing no more. We got to come in here, and we got to go to work."
Sunday will be a big test not only for the first overall pick, but the entire team to prove that all the offseason noise will hold true on the field.
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