It's been a long time since the Chicago Bears entered a season with a rookie offensive player who had a legitimate shot at winning the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
Even in the years that the Bears drafted Mitch Trubisky and Justin Fields, neither quarterback was expected to be much of a factor for the team during their rookie season as the initial plan was for them to sit behind a veteran quarterback. While both Trubisky and Fields were thrust into being the Bears' starting quarterback during their rookie campaigns due to ineffectiveness and injury, it was clear that neither were ready for the spotlight.
That isn't the case for the Bears and their selection of Caleb Williams.
Williams, unlike Trubisky and Fields, is ready to be the Bears' starting quarterback from the second he takes the practice field at Halas Hall and the team has created a terrific landing spot in that he will have DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, D'Andre Swift, and Cole Kmet as part of his offense.
To that end, it should be no surprise that Sharp Football Analysis' model for NFL offensive Rookie of the Year has Williams as the favorite to win the award this season.
WRs & RBs have ruled OROY. In the past 11 seasons, they've won 7 times.
— Sharp Football Analysis (@SharpFBAnalysis) May 6, 2024
Top 10 picks also hold the spotlight, with the last 6 winners drafted there. 8 out of 10 hailed from the first round.
Full analysis and predictions here: https://t.co/pSDq2ykTV7 pic.twitter.com/BljzidgIZC
2024 season could be award season for Caleb Williams
Of course, included in the mix of players that Williams will have on offense is Rome Odunze, who falls in as the seventh-likeliest player to win the award.
The pairing of Williams and Odunze is expected to usher in a new era of football for the Bears. The Bears, behind Williams and Odunze, are constructing an offense that could be the reason why the team wins games in 2024. For as exciting as Fields' time as the Bears' starting quarterback was, there was always the desire for more. That desire should be fulfilled with Williams and Odunze.