Whether it's how he's handled himself with the media, his on-field performances in practice thus far or even some of the latest power rankings from various outlets, Chicago Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams is the reason why this team has so much hype building beneath them.
It's to the point where some might even say it's bordering being out of control, but not quite yet.
Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon, for one, isn't buying into the hype train in Chicago. In a recent piece giving predictions on eight of the NFL's ''boom or bust" teams, he had this to say about the Bears:
"Williams is a better player than Young, and he's got a lot more support. They'll win eight or nine games and make more progress, but the NFC is too deep for them to make a playoff run right now."
Gagnon did write about the boom potential for Chicago, alluding to Williams possibly having a similar rookie campaign to that of C.J. Stroud in 2023. And, while many Bears fans would love to see this team have the same type of success the Texans had last year, the circumstances are a bit different.
Comparing the 2024 Bears to the 2023 Texans isn't actually all that fair
The 2024 Bears have to play against a pair of playoff teams, within the division, twice a year, in Green Bay and Detroit. Meanwhile, the Texans played Colts and Jaguars teams that were barely above .500, while the Titans were trying to figure out their identity going forward and finished the year 6-11.
This coming season, the Bears will likely be one of three teams with a winning record in this division, and all three of these teams are more talented than the Jaguars and Colts. While that's debatable, of course, it's something we should end up seeing come to fruition in 2024.
Stroud and the Texans had a relatively easy road to the playoffs last year, with the Colts being down Anthony Richardson and the Jaguars boasting a bottom-third defense and middle-of-the-road offense.
Chicago is going to be involved in some slugfests with Detroit and Green Bay, and the Vikings remain a mystery, although Brian Flores' defense should take another step forward this coming year.
Could Williams live up to the hype and lead the Bears to a division title? Absolutely. But, the above prediction might not be too far off, at least in Williams' rookie season.