The June 1 trade that sent reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett from the Cleveland Browns to the Los Angeles Rams has turned the NFL world on its head, and put teams competing with the Rams in the NFC on notice. As the defending NFC North champions, the Chicago Bears are definitely one of those teams.
Since they didn't have all assets that would've been required to get Garrett, in light of what the Rams gave up, it's not even a huge disappointment the Bears didn't get him. But it can call into question what hasn't been done this off
On 104.3 The Score's "Rahimi, Harris and Grote", co-host Marshall Harris plainly stated how he believes the Bears' window to compete at a high level while Williams is still on his rookie contract has evaporated due to an offseason that has lacked "thump."
"Caleb Williams is entering Year 3, in the NFL", Harris said. "He has a four-year contract with a fifth-year club option, which we all assume will be picked up. He's set to make, next year, have a cap hit of $10 million....the follwing year in 2027, $12.5 million."
"It is so important, when you have a player of his caliber....you're getting such value there."
Bears might have missed their Super Bowl window
Harris then referred to how the Seattle Seahawks maximized the window they had when Russell Wilson was on his rookie contract, to the tune of back-to-back Super Bowl appearances that was nearly back-to-back Super Bowl wins.
Of course once Wilson had to get paid, the Seahawks were still a playoff-caliber team every year, but they never got past the Divisional Round over the rest of his time there.
Harris noted how other teams seem to be getting better, and how it feels like the Bears are getting left behind.
"I don't see, as of right now, them taking advantage of this rookie contract in the way that I had hoped. And I feel like the door has closed already, on that specific window of the Bears being Super Bowl contenders."
Harris and co-host Leila Rahimi noted that the Rams are on a different timeline with their quarterback, as Matthew Stafford probably has only a couple of seasons left in his career. Harris noted how Williams has a much longer "runway" by comparison, and the Bears' overall window with Williams under center will extend beyond Stafford's career.
But...
"The problem is, by the time Matthew Stafford stops playing in this league, how much are you gonna have to pay Caleb Williams? So then, you're gonna ask him to do more with less."
After citing examples of quarterbacks who've had to do more with less, Harris summed this thoughts up.
"I just wanted them to take advantage of the rookie contract of a No. 1 overall pick."
It's aggressive to suggest the Bears' window to take advantage of Williams being on a cheap rookie contract has already closed. The bad contracts given to Dayo Odeyingbo and Grady Jarrett last offseason married them to both guys this year, which was not ideal for doing anything big this offseason, but that will not be the case next offseason.
Of course, next offseason might also be when the Bears give Williams a multi-year contract extension, likely with the fifth-year option accounted for. But that deal wouldn't fully kick in until 2028, and the first-year cap hit could be kept relatively reasonable.
Read more: Bears' Caleb Williams certainly has the attention of Big Ten head coach
Among concerns Bears' fans and followers have about this offseason, already failing to capitalize on a window to win a Super Bowl during Williams' rookie contract is probably low on the totem pole. If it's even on that totem pole at all, truly.
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