Bears chairman has big Caleb Williams request for fans

Chicago Bears fans are understandably dreaming big with promising rookie quarterback Caleb Williams preparing to make the first meaningful start of his NFL career.

Bears chairman George McCaskey recently spoke with Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times and reminde d everybody that Williams will experience ups and downs from Week 1 through January 2025.

"Typically, the No. 1 pick in the draft comes into a situation where it’s going to take a while for things to come together," McCaskey explained. "Caleb’s got a lot of support — a solid defense, good receivers, good offensive line, a good running game, tight ends. But I hope people will be patient. There are going to be growing pains. He’s going to make mistakes. That’s part of the learning process for any young quarterback."

Even before the Bears officially traded signal-caller Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a conditional 2025 sixth-round draft pick in March, it was clear Chicago was all-in on making Williams the first choice of this year's player-selection process. The Bears then wasted no time in naming Williams their starter ahead of springtime workouts, and he's thus far been as advertised throughout his first handful of months as Chicago's QB1.

"He’s been terrific," McCaskey said about Williams. "Hard worker, great teammate, he’s got a smile on his face."

The 2023 season offered multiple reminders of how quickly things can go poorly for rookie quarterbacks drafted with high picks. Bryce Young, the first selection of that draft, endured numerous struggles as a first-year pro, and Anthony Richardson (pick No. 4) made just four starts before he suffered a season-ending injury to his throwing shoulder.

Meanwhile, C.J. Stroud (pick No. 2) flourished as a Week 1 starter en route to guiding the Houston Texans to a division title and a home playoff win. Some Chicago fans will expect Williams to follow in Stroud's footsteps beginning with the Week 1 game versus the Tennessee Titans on Sept. 8, and that reality seemingly isn't lost on McCaskey.

"We get it — there’s a lot of excitement," McCaskey added during his comments. "The offseason’s always too long. We’re finally getting down to it. It’s a great feeling. We gotta deliver."

As of Friday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed Williams as the betting favorite at +135 odds to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award. That same outlet had the Bears at +120 odds to win over 9.5 games this season.