(670 The Score) New Bears quarterback Caleb Williams will carry great expectations into his rookie season.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Williams was officially named the Bears’ starting quarterback shortly after he was selected. Williams is now set to lead a team that's eyeing the postseason and looking to start a run of sustained success.
But with that as context, the Bears are keeping the goals simple for the 22-year-old Williams as he prepares to begin his first NFL training camp at Halas Hall in July.
“Just the continued ownership of the scheme, of the operation,” Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron said earlier in June. “We talked a lot about what the offseason entails over this next four-week stretch that we have before we report back for rookies with training camp there. And so there is expectation there because that’s studying, that’s putting in the work, even though it’s the downtime on that relentless pursuit of getting the edge and finding the edge. And for him finding that edge going into training camp, being better than he was when he left here (at the end of the offseason program) without the benefit of practices, will be so much focused on the studying, the watching tape and then throwing and working on his fundamentals.”
Externally, Williams and the Bears could be judged against the success of the Texans in 2023. Led by then-rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud, Houston won the AFC South with a 10-7 mark. Stroud, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, won the Offensive Rookie of the Year award and earned Pro Bowl honors.
Waldron wasn't interested in delving into a Bears-Texans comparison, though he’s hopeful Chicago can produce offensively and that Williams will adjust to the NFL game quickly.
“We can be the best version of the 2024 Bears,” Waldron said. “So, comparisons to different teams in different situations, to me, those aren’t what we’re looking at in terms of saying those are apples to apples. Those are different scenarios. There are different pieces from each scenario that we can pull from.
“We’re just trying to be the best version of ourselves, and we feel like we have good pieces around our offensive structure right now. And guys are bought in. The personalities are jelling. The people are great. And so with that, the results will come."
The Bears will report for training camp on July 19 in Lake Forest. Williams and the team’s rookies are scheduled to arrive three days prior.