If you are a Justin Fields supporter, there is nothing wrong with that. If you are a Caleb Williams hater, then it is time to sit down and honestly, be quiet. The Chicago Bears have found the quarterback that should prove to be the greatest in franchise history. I know that's putting too much on the shoulders of a 22-year-old kid who has yet to take a snap in the NFL, but that's how strong my convictions are on this kid — especially after more details recently surfaced.
Make sure to read the full article by Albert Breer at Sports Illustrated. Breer went through the entire scouting and draft process the Chicago Bears went through before selecting Caleb Williams first overall. It was a great article with plenty of details I won't cover, but I highly encourage you to read through the entire thing — it's worth it.
Now, onto one of the main things to grasp from this article. Everything, and I mean everything, you heard negatively about Caleb Williams, his father, and his camp was basically nonsense.
Caleb Williams brings everything to the table
Just when you thought Caleb Williams couldn't prove enough how he's the right guy for the job, more details about his character emerge. Any fans of the Chicago Bears who think Williams is going to be a problem because of the locker room need to stop talking (or typing). While scouting the quarterback, Ryan Poles quickly turns what might have been Williams' worst game into a positive.
While the Trojans were struggling against Notre Dame last October, Poles looked for things you wouldn't see on a television broadcast. Williams finished the night with three interceptions and six sacks. He didn't even throw for over 200 yards. How was this a positive moment in the scouting process? Simple.
"You saw a lot of encouragement with teammates, even after the interceptions. You saw frustration, too, because it matters to him. But you never saw it become disruptive. You never saw teammates run away from him, or him run away and be by himself, away from his teammates. You saw him talking with the coaches trying to find solutions."Ryan Poles, Bears GM
None of this is a slight against Justin Fields. Fields led this team in his own way, but hearing how Caleb Williams operates on the sidelines and in the locker room, it appears the Bears have found the right man for the job.
The noise surrounding Caleb Williams and his camp wasn't real
Maybe it was an attempt to try and sabotage Williams' draft stock, but after the season ended, two scouts told Ryan Poles to go back to California and find out for himself that the noise being spread through the media regarding Williams was not true. Remember the Colin Cowherd nonsense, yeah, maybe mute that guy if you haven't already.
According to Albert Breer's article, Poles went out to USC to investigate the rumors and narratives and found them to be nothing but nonsense.
Caleb Williams has all the tools to be great
On the field, the Chicago Bears found that Caleb Williams stood out from the rest, and has all the tools to be better than great. They found that the issues that some fans, or let's say haters, try to point out are easily coachable. They include his fumbling concerns and his sometimes unnecessary risk-taking. Most importantly though, he had unteachable skills. Skills that make him different from Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, and others in the 2024 NFL Draft class.
"The creativity, the rare instincts and feel to navigate in space and see the entire field, when you see a lot of those, that’s the part that’s interesting. I stole some things that we did with Andy [Reid] when we watched tape of Pat and that whole class. I took a lot of short throws, the bubbles, the screens, the jet sweeps out and looked at the intermediate throws and the deep throws to see what the accuracy looked like there. That’s where the completion percentage and all that stuff starts to mess around with the evaluation.Ryan Poles, Bears GM
We wanted to see it at its purest form."
Ryan Poles and Ian Cunningham talked about how Williams has that 'wow' factor that you don't see every day. They compliment his field vision, arm strength, and accuracy while calling the traits rare.
Again, Caleb Williams haters just need to stop. He is and always was going to be the top prospect in this draft class. He has proved it both on and off the field. He has an amazing support system. He holds his teammates accountable by not trash-talking them but encouraging them to be better. He hypes his team up on the sidelines rather than just sitting alone. The only thing anyone has to hold onto now is the nail painting, phone case, and crying to his mom nonsense. My point, though, is to stop it.