USC Football: Will Caleb Williams Lead Bears to Playoffs in Year One?
USC superstar and 2022 Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams will be the number one pick in the 2024 NFL draft. It's all but likely it will happen, and he will be a Chicago Bear. The Bears hope he pans out to be the superstar many experts and pundits predict he will be. If that's the case, he will undoubtedly be the best quarterback in Bears history.
However, we're getting ahead of ourselves right now. Let's focus on year one.
Rookie quarterbacks tend to have a tough time once they reach the pro level. The game is faster, players are better from top to bottom, and adjusting to the rigorous NFL schedule is challenging. However, the Bears have built the best team possible for their potential rookie quarterback. Williams can lead the Bears to some victories in a division where the defenses aren't as intimidating.
However, are the playoffs out of the realm of possibility? They are if you ask FS1 analyst Joy Taylor. On her show Speak on FS1, Taylor says we should not expect Williams to lead the Bears to the playoffs as a rookie.
"He's going to a team that has no culture, has no history of winning as of late, whose coach we don't know is a good head coach, etc."
It would be quite a surprise for the Bears to make the playoffs, but it's not out of the realm of possibility, or it wouldn't be an entire shock.
The Bears finished the 2023 season last in the division with a 7-10 record. There's no doubt this offense for the Bears, at least on paper, is way better than last season. Williams is a better prospect than Justin Fields and will likely be a better quarterback. On top of that, the Bears added a multitude of weapons for the 22-year-olds, like Keenan Allen, D'Andre Swift, Gerald Everett and DJ Moore, to name a few.
I'm not saying the Bears will make the playoffs, but if all you need is three more wins to qualify to be a playoff team. However, Willaims can undoubtedly do that, especially with the offense at his disposal.
