Caleb Williams was a special talent during college. In just three seasons, he won the Heisman Trophy in 2022 and threw for over 10,000 yards and 93 touchdowns.
Williams’ success with Oklahoma and USC led the Chicago Bears to select him No.1 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. Knowing the Bears’ miserable history at the quarterback position, the Washington, D.C. native enters a rookie season with immense pressure.
While head coach Matt Eberflus said Williams would not be playing in Chicago’s final preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs, he earned the honor of Sports Illustrated’s preseason rookie winner at the quarterback spot. Williams was recognized for his incredible playmaking ability during games against the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals.
The preseason is almost over. Which rookies have made a name for themselves thus far?https://t.co/DuK6f1uUNg
— NFL Draft on SI (@NFLDraft_SI) August 21, 2024
The former Trojan will have many weapons at his disposal this season. After acquiring veteran wide receiver Keenan Allen in the offseason, the Bears drafted former Washington receiver Rome Odunze with the No. 9 overall pick. Williams will also have fellow Big Ten alumni and former Maryland Terrapin D.J. Moore, who acquired over 1,000 yards last season.
While he struggled on his first few drives against the Bengals, Williams put together a couple of nice drives and some highlight plays, including a 45-yard pass across his body to Odunze. He finished the drive with a 7-yard rushing touchdown, igniting the crowd at Soldier Field.
It comes as no surprise that another former Lincoln Riley quarterback is making waves in the NFL world. This year, we’ll see if current USC quarterback Miller Moss can bring that same excitement that Williams had in the Trojans' inaugural year in the Big Ten.