One of the main takeaways from the Chicago Bears' 2024 schedule release is that it has placed rookie quarterback Caleb Williams in a position to succeed right away.
Based on the results of the 2023 season, the Bears have the third easiest schedule and do not play a division game until November. Given the soft landing that Williams has to begin the season, that is one of the reasons why Nick Wright of First Things First on FS1 not only makes the case for the Bears making the playoffs but also making the Super Bowl.
"Caleb Williams *could* lead the Bears to the Super Bowl in his rookie season. ... I can see them shocking everyone but me." 😳
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) May 16, 2024
— @getnickwright on why he's flirting with the idea that Chicago can reach SB LIX: pic.twitter.com/FplgVzlHaJ
A Super Bowl prediction for Caleb Williams' rookie season with the Bears.
The prediction by Wright is undoubtedly going to have Bears fans excited. Usually, after the schedule is released, Bears fans are miserable as it serves as another reminder of how far the team is away from the top of the NFC. The idea that the Bears are being predicted to reach the Super Bowl in the aftermath of the schedule being released speaks to how improved many believe the team will be in 2024 with Williams and a new-look offense including Keenan Allen, Rome Odunze, and D'Andre Swift.
The issue is that these types of predictions also set unrealistic expectations. While everyone wants to point to the success that CJ Stroud had with the Houston Texans last season, that is the outlier regarding rookie quarterback performances. The only way the Bears can reach the Super Bowl next season is if the outlier is repeated for a second-consecutive season in the NFL.
To that end, if the Bears do not reach the Super Bowl, that does not mean that the team made the wrong decision to move on from Justin Fields in favor of Williams. Regardless, Williams' arrival has changed the national tone when the Bears are discussed, and fans are entering a new era.