Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus kicked off the team's rookie mini-camp on Friday when he spoke with reporters at Halas Hall.
Of course, all eyes are on the Bears this weekend after their selection of quarterback Caleb Williams as the first overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft. Beyond the selection of Williams, the Bears followed up in the first round by adding wide receiver Rome Odunze with the ninth overall selection.
This should be a special moment for Bears fans but many are caught up with the past. Let this serve as a reminder, the excitement of the Bears moving forward with Williams can be had without the need of bringing up the failure that was the team's development of Justin Fields.
To that end, Eberflus' comments on Friday confirm that the Bears have learned a lesson from their past failures at developing Fields and even Mitch Trubisky.
Matt Eberflus says that he didn't have to have a conversation with Caleb Williams about being the starter - "No conversation. He's the starter."
— CHGO Bears (@CHGO_Bears) May 10, 2024
Caleb Williams is the unquestioned starting quarterback for the Bears.
It did not need to be said, but the fact that Eberflus did confirm that Williams was the team's starting quarterback is likely an acknowledgment that the team's current front office is aware of what missteps may have been had with Fields. Rather than bring in a meddling veteran like the previous regime did with Andy Dalton, there was no need for Ryan Poles' front office to operate in the same fashion as Williams.
The past is not a precursor for the future. There are plenty of reasons to be upset with how the Bears handled Fields' development, but that time passed. Fields is trying to earn a starting job with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and it will be great if he does. But Fields' time with the Bears no longer should be a talking point for a Bears' team that has moved on.