One of the biggest questions that faced Caleb Williams after the Chicago Bears selected him first overall in the 2024 NFL Draft was how the team, as a whole, would handle the transition from Justin Fields, the face of the franchise, to Williams.
Not only was Fields popular among Bears' fans, he was well-received within the team's locker room. Prior to the Bears officially making the change, veteran leaders such as Jaylon Johnson were not shy about expressing their desire for Fields to remain the starting quarterback of the Bears.
Of course, at the time, that is what Johnson and other Bears' players had to say, considering Fields was still their teammate, and saying anything otherwise would have stirred more controversy.
A few months into the Williams' era for the Bears, Johnson had nothing but praise for Williams when speaking with Jim Rome.
Jaylon Johnson (@NBAxJay1) says Caleb Williams is "fitting in perfectly" so far in Chicago. pic.twitter.com/RS9ooraG5n
— Jim Rome (@jimrome) July 10, 2024
Jaylon Johnson put another Caleb Williams' narrative to bed.
Almost instantly after being selected by Williams, the rookie quarterback put to rest the idea that he did not want to be in Chicago. Williams quickly embraced the City of Chicago, including being spotted at establishments in Wrigleyville, attending Cubs' games, and showing up for Chicago White Sox and Chicago Sky Games. Being good at the quarterback position is certainly what will be the true evaluation of Williams, but he is nailing the part of becoming the face of a franchise in the third-largest market in the country.
Along with that, Williams has quickly been embraced by his Bears' teammates. It just goes to show that the narratives of upset fans on social media often never hold any truth in reality.
Training Camp begins next Tuesday when rookies report to Halas Hall but it's important to note that Williams has yet to sign his rookie deal. However, there remains no real concern that Williams' deal won't be signed by next Tuesday.