LAKE FOREST, Ill. (670 The Score) — Throughout Halas Hall, there are reminders and relics of the Bears’ century-old history and the pride that the franchise carries. The team’s headquarters serve as a museum of eras past.
Players walk through an entrance each morning with the Bears’ retired numbers on display. Coaches will even detour from their own entrance to experience this walk. Coach Matt Eberflus’ office has photos of all-time great Bears like Walter Payton, Dick Butkus, Bill George and Brian Piccolo. There are history lessons in each hallway of the building.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles is proud to be leading the storied franchise, but he also understands the negative part of its history. Chicago has never enjoyed a star at quarterback or seen a 4,000-yard passing season. The team’s all-time leading receiver is Johnny Morris, whose career spanned from 1958 to 1967.
The Bears have just one Super Bowl trophy to display inside of Halas Hall.
"Now it's time to start a new chapter for this organization,” Poles said Saturday after completing his third NFL Draft with Chicago and as a transformational offseason at Halas Hall culminated.
Poles believes the Bears are on the cusp of a successful new era that will be led by 22-year-old quarterback Caleb Williams, the No. 1 overall selection in this NFL Draft. The decision to draft Williams was an easy one, as Poles never entertained the idea of trading the top pick or found another quarterback whose skills compared to Williams'.
The only reason that Williams' name wasn't immediately announced when the NFL Draft officially began in Detroit on Thursday evening was because the league asks teams to wait at least five minutes of their 10-minute clock before submitting their selections in the first round. Williams won the Heisman Trophy at USC in 2022 as he threw for 4,537 yards, 42 touchdowns and five interceptions. He then threw for 3,633 yards, 30 touchdowns and five interceptions in 2023. Williams played in 11 games at Oklahoma as a freshman in 2021 before transferring to Southern California.
All along, Williams was preparing himself to be the No. 1 overall pick and the leader of a franchise.
"He's not scared for greatness,” USC head coach Lincoln Riley said. “He's not scared to put it out there. He's not scared to be himself.”
When Williams approached the Bears’ brass during his visit to Halas Hall in early April and asked why the franchise has struggled to develop quarterbacks in the past, Poles was struck by the question. While the reasons could be quite complicated depending on which previous quarterback was being discussed, Poles' answer was fairly simple. The Bears haven’t had the solid infrastructure and supporting cast in place in the past like they do now for Williams.
The Bears return star receiver DJ Moore, who had 96 receptions for 1,364 yards and eight scores last season. They traded for six-time Pro Bowl receiver Keenan Allen, who has 97 or more receptions in six of the past seven seasons. At No. 9 overall in the NFL Draft, the Bears then selected Washington standout receiver Rome Odunze.
“We can do special things,” Odunze said.
The Bears also have a dynamic running back in D’Andre Swift, an offensive line that’s nearly set with five starters and a new offensive coordinator in Shane Waldron who has a proven track record of developing quarterbacks. They also expect their defense to be one of the NFL’s best this season.
Perhaps most importantly, the Bears have a clear plan in place at quarterback, unlike during the rookie seasons of Mitch Trubisky (2017) and Justin Fields (2021). Williams is set to receive the full load of first-team snaps beginning in OTAs and leading up to the regular season. There will be no awkward demand for him to beat out a veteran stopgap starter like Mike Glennon or Andy Dalton.
The Bears are looking to Williams to lead them from the start of his rookie season.
"My reason to go out there is to win games,” Williams said. “My reason why is to win games and championships. So, I want to be a big portion of it. I want to go out there, I want to have fun, I want to enjoy it and I want to do it with my teammates. What better place to do it than (with) the Chicago Bears?"
In his first two drafts with the Bears, Poles focused on adding quality roster depth and taking as many bites at the apple as possible. Chicago selected 11 prospects in 2022 and 10 last year. This time around, the Bears made just five picks – including Yale offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie in the third round, Iowa punter Tory Taylor in the fourth round and Kansas pass rusher Austin Booker in the fifth round. The selection of Taylor, who should be one of the top punters in the NFL as a rookie, felt like a statement by Poles that his roster is ready to win.
Back in early 2022, Poles was a sought-after general manager candidate following a 13-year rise through the Chiefs’ scouting department. After interviewing with the Bears at Halas Hall, he had the opportunity to hop on a flight to Minneapolis and meet with the Vikings for their general manager opening.
Poles never boarded the flight. He was drawn to the opportunity to lead the Bears, who would soon begin a drastic rebuilding effort with an eye on creating sustained success. It has taken diligent work and some remarkable fortune, but the Bears now have great hopes.
A new chapter has begun for the Bears with the intention of writing new history.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670 .
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