Prior to Justin Fields being dealt, the expectation around the league was that Ryan Poles would move on from the former first-rounder in a deal paving the way for Caleb Williams to be selected. With the first of those two decisions having been made, the second is even more likely. 
Fields was dealt to the Steelers after teams around the league did not show the interest in him Poles was expecting. The 25-year-old preferred to go to Pittsburgh, where he is currently slated to serve as the backup to Russell Wilson. Parting ways with Fields confirms Chicago will add a passer in April’s draft, one in which the teams owns the first and ninth overall picks.
ESPN’s Courtney Cronin and Brooke Pryor confirm “all signs point” to Williams being the first to hear his name called on draft night. The 2022 Heisman winner has long been regarded as the top passer in the 2024 class (although the gap between he and the Drake Maye–Jayden Daniels duo has closed to an extent in the eyes of some draft analysts). Williams is open to joining the Bears as their rebuild aims to take its next step.
Chicago was originally set to host the USC product on a ’30’ visit right after the combine, but Sports Illustrated Albert Breer notes the team changed that plan. Now, the Bears will conduct the visit following Williams’ Pro Day, which took place on Wednesday. To no surprise, the Bears were among the teams well represented at that event.
Poles and Co. will conduct a final evaluation in the near future before finalizing a decision at the QB spot. Expectations for the team’s offense – a unit which now features the likes of Keenan Allen, D’Andre Swift and Gerald Everett at the skill positions – will be high in 2024, particularly if Williams is installed as the the starter during his rookie season. Other teams have done their homework on the latter as well, of course, but it remains unlikely he will be available for the Commanders or Patriots with the second and third selections.
As Adam Jahns of The Athletic notes, the Bears joined several other NFL teams in sending a “large contingent” to watch J.J. McCarthy at Michigan’s Pro Day on Friday. Chicago’s due diligence at the QB spot has thus included evaluations of a number of options, but especially with Fields no longer in the fold it would come as a major surprise at this point if Williams were playing outside the Windy City in 2024.
The Fields fan boys and social media parrots still haven’t realized he wasn’t good, not worthy of being an NFL starting QB after 3 seasons, barely a backup. The best statement that can be made is the Bears will lose the same amount of games with Williams as Fields. Welcome the next few seasons with Caleb!
The Bears rank right up there with the Jets at being inept at developing QB prospects. Both teams probably would have botched the development of Mahomes if given the opportunity…lol.
The issue with that statement is each QB they’ve drafted and developed has been under different HCs and OCs. It’s not like Virginia McCaskey is on the field. So how can you make a blanekt statement like that? Both Fields and Trubisky were great athletic talents, but just couldn’t process an NFL play fast enough. You can only coach that so much. Andy Reid was never known as a QB whisperer, neither was BB. Matt Nagy now has how many SBs? Some QBs get it. Many more don’t.
I also can see a lot of needless scrambling, lots of picks, and batted balls likely in the air for Ints with Williams. Im hoping that’s not what will happen, but it could as many of the issues with Fields also show up on Williams scouting report (at least Fields was not an egomaniac on top of everything; wait until Williams tries to dump on the Chicago press or his teammates).
I have no problem admitting Im wrong if Williams is everything they say he is, but the NFL is a different animal than the College game, ask all of the QB that busted out of the league. I think a LOT of people will have egg on their face, bashing Fields only to fawn for a guy who has not done jack in the NFL yet. But then again most will also have convenient amnesia saying they did not think much of Williams.Same if Fields does go to Pittsburgh, wind up starting and winds up winning.
No one is bashing Fields. But to gloss over him like he’s the next coming of Joe Montana is insane. Fields showed in 2023 he can’t handle a passing game. That was his year to prove it, and he didn’t. He can’t read, react, and throw. That’s why teams didn’t want him, even as a backup! Worst case scenario with Williams is they’ll lose just a many games as they would’ve with Fields. Hopefully Waldron will work him in slow, run the ball, some play action, and let’s see what happens. Maybe he gets it, maybe he doesn’t.
His arm talent is ridiculous. I’m as much of a doubter as anyone, but some of the highlights make you think he could be the next Mahomes. Hero ball is definitely an issue and his pocket awareness will need work too. In all reality his actual production probably ends up closer to Kyler Murray, but if he matures well, he’s could be a top 5 QB. Unless their OL improves across the board, Caleb is gonna have Justin Field problems too, which magnifies his deficiencies.
Why not McCarthy instead of Williams? The
I think it will be good for the league to have a decent team in Chicago again. Looking forward to seeing that comma removed from the headline.
LOL, I hope you don’t really expect a future bust to save the franchise? The Bears seem to think that a QB prospect is going to turn their fortunes around, but it’s not QB play that’s holding them back, it’s incompetent management. Williams looks like the latest overhyped prospect, another product of this internet media era. If he was a good QB, he would refuse to play for the Bears.
You say looking forward to Chicago having a good team “again”. But, it’s been nearly 40 years since they had a good team. You can’t be that old and that stupid.
The bears no longer have incompetent management though. That changed when hired Kevin Warren.
That has yet to be seen. I want to see results before declaring an end to the mismanagement.
They play in a division that really only has the Lions as a good team, and I still have a hard time believing Jared Goff can lead them to a championship. The Bears need to take a swing at quarterback, and surrounding him with good weapons immediately will at least give them an idea if Williams looks the part.
IF Williams looks the part…. Yep you always want to rely on hopes and wishes for a team to be successful.
Also, as much as I hate them, I have learned that you NEVER underestimate the Packers either. The Bears literally knocked Rodgers out of a game only for him to come back in at the 2nd half and throttle the Bears.. The Bears were also supposed to be able to beat the Packers soundly this past season, only to lose two laughers.
My point is the Bears gave Fields nothing initially in terms of weapons for the first two years, and the argument was he could be good if he had anyone to throw to. They got him weapons, and he still couldn’t take the next step. Williams will have weapons off the rip, so any lack of development won’t be because of a lack of talent surrounding him. The Lions are head and shoulders above the Packers in talent, the Packers over achieved this past season.
GB made the playoffs and could’ve beat SF. Don’t count them out.
If he doesn’t bust you’re going to look old and stupid.
He looks pretty stupid right now. Haters always do.
Chicago should really look at acquiring a stable veteran QB to backup and mentor Caleb. Just assuming he’s going to walk in there, start from day 1, and the Bears are back to relevancy again is highly dubious. The college that never produces quality quarterbacks and the NFL team that has never developed a quality quarterback = match made in heaven.
They tried that once before, only for Dalton to be hurt and Fields thrown to the wolves. We see how that played out.
at this point it almost seems a certainty it will be the case. and speaking as a Canadian, it would be great to see the Bears being a contender once again. I like the Packers more but Chicago needs to be a powerhouse once again. I think it would be great for the game itself.
He’s “open to it”? Well isn’t that great?
Sounds really enthusiastic doesn’t he. Like an arranged marriage.
Why would anyone be enthusiastic about getting drafted by one of the worst franchises in sports, in one of the most dangerous cities in America. Being a top prospect is a double edged sword, they get a big payday but are almost guaranteed to be on a terrible team.
Thats the joke.
Where exactly in Chicago do you think Caleb Williams would frequent that is dangerous? I won’t argue the historic ineptitude of developing QBs with that franchise but it’s actually a really cool city and sports icons can thrive in that market.
I doubt Caleb will be dining at Harold’s Chicken Shack on the south side. Outside of GB, which team does have a historic eptitude for developing QBs? I’d like to know!
Saints
Redskins/commanders
Jets
Buccaneers
Raiders
Lot of franchises have gone a while without developing their own franchise qb
The Bears are not the worst franchise in sports. I think that fans of the Jets, Browns, Carolina, and Arizona (maybe Jacksonville as well) would like to argue that point.
The Seattle Mariners and Buffalo Sabres would also like a word.
How is this a terrible situation? It’s the Panthers pick. The Bears have weapons and a really good defense.
Bears are one of the worst franchises in sports? Now that’s hilarious! The team Williams will be on won’t be “terrible” either.
was Lawerence open to going to a trainwreck in Jacksonville? Chicago has a much better situation LMAOOO
I’m not really understanding all the sudden love for McCarthy. he didn’t really look like anything special to me. I figured him for 2nd round at best. In fact he reminds me of Hackenburg the Penn State QB who was a huge bust.
I agree. He’s gone from underrated to overrated pretty quickly. He has talent, but it doesn’t feel like he’s ever had to carry the team on his shoulders.
its the media.. they need another drama point now that Fields has been moved and Williams most likely being drafted by the Bears.
Yeah a lot of the talk surrounding McCarthy seems like a smoke screen. I don’t understand the hype. He wasn’t asked to do much at Michigan, so how does that translate to NFL success?
Hope the Bears offensive line holds up. Would like to see Williams sit before being thrown into the fire! It doesn’t appears that will happen.
What is with all of these nonsense Williams=Bust & the Bears are going to ruin him rubbish? Are all these people Green Bay fans?
I watched Fields play for the last 3 years and he clearly doesn’t have the competitive fire, desire to play football. He lacks instincts and confidence in his abilities and that is not all on the coaching staff. Williams is quite different where he has almost too much of this moxy and he’ll be humbled pretty quickly, but seems like a player that will figure it out fast.