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Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year

The odds are in Caleb Williams' favor

By David J. Hunt

Chicago Bears v Buffalo Bills
Chicago Bears v Buffalo Bills / Rich Barnes/GettyImages
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Even though the season is still young, Chicago Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams is the clearcut favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Williams leads the way to win the award with +135 odds, according to FanDuel. The former Heisman winner is followed by Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (+550) and Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marin Harrison Jr. (+750).

Williams enters an ideal situation to win Offensive Rookie of the Year. The Bears depth chart on offense looks more like someone's Madden Ultimate Team than a real NFL roster. With dynamic playmakers like running back DeAndre Swift, tight end Cole Kmet and a receiving corps of D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze, Williams will have plenty of weapons to throw to.

In all reality, if he can simply manage the game and let his playmakers do the bulk of the heavy lifting, he should be okay. The Bears run-heavy playing style led the league in rushing in 2022 and finished second just last year. If they can put Williams in manageable throwing situations, he could easily win Offensive Rookie of the Year.

The Bears play in one of the biggest media markets in the NFL. The voters are typically biased toward players in cities like New York and Los Angeles. So besides what's happening on the field, the odds are in Williams favor off it, as well.

Similarly, the Bears infamous history at the quarterback position could boost Williams chances. Don't believe me? The Bears are the only team in the NFL to never have a quarterback throw for over 4,000 passing yards in a season. Besides Jay Cutler and Jim McMahon, the Bears have struggled at the game's most important position.

If Williams can reset this trend in his first season, the voters are going to take notice.

The Offensive Rookie of the Year also tends to favor quarterbacks. It's a rarity when a quarterback doesn't end up winning the award. In fact, three of the last five winners are quarterbacks, per Pro Football Reference.

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