In a broad sense, Caleb Wiliams was entering unchartered territory as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Chicago Bears were hardly the worst team in the NFL the year before, with a 7-10 record, a solid defense and many of the ideal pieces to put around a young quarterback.
But it wound up being unchartered territory in a very different way for Williams as a rookie. Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron was fired nine games into the season, with passing game coordinator Thomas Brown replacing him. Then, head coach Matt Eberflus was fired after the inexplicable late-game debacle against the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day. Brown was then promoted to interim head coach, with wide receivers coach Chris Beatty becoming offensive coordinator for the rest of the season.
Meanwhile Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 draft, won Offensive Rookie of the Year as Washington reached the NFC Championship Game.
Williams' development is the No. 1 priority for the Bears, and nothing else is a close second. To that end, they were able to get Ben Johnson to be their new head coach after a very successful run as the Lions' offensive coordinator. A remodeling of the offensive line followed, along with the addition of new weapons with the first two picks in the draft (tight end Colston Loveland, wide receiver Luther Burden).
Expectations are naturally high for Williams, and now he has fewer (if any) excuses heading into his second season.
Noteworthy Bears' fan has big prediction for Caleb Williams in Year 2
WWE superstar Seth Rollins is an unapologetic and unchecked Bears' fan, through thick and thin and for better or worse. He appeared with Kay Adams on the "Up And Adams" show this past week, with the Bears as an automatic topic from multiple angles.
Adams asked who of Williams or Daniels would have a better year in 2025, and Rollins "freakin" went all-in.
"I think Caleb Williams is going to have a better year," Rollins said. "I think last year was an aberration. I think you're going to see a little bit of a sophomore slump. I think people are going to be able to gameplan for (Jayden) better. ... I just think the second year is going to be more difficult. You look at C.J. Stroud...he had a great year, but compared to the rookie year, not quite as good. I think you're going to look at it and see a situation like that whereas expectations are going to be a little bit lower for Caleb, and I think he's going to be able to exceed those. Plus, he's playing in a system with Ben Johnson that's going to be curated better to him than what he was doing with Shane Waldron."
Rollins isn't the first to invite the idea of some regression for Daniels this year, but he could still have a nice second season while Williams pays off the prediction.
When the Commanders host the Bears on Monday Night Football in Week 6, the two young signal callers will face off for the second time in as many seasons. We won't remind Bears' fans what happened in last year's matchup.