It won't be official for another month when NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell heads to the podium to announce the first pick of the 2024 NFL Draft on April 25, but Caleb Williams is all but a guarantee to be the name said as the selection for the Chicago Bears.
The Bears are doing their homework on the USC quarterback and covering all bases to make sure Williams is the perfect choice to be Chicago's franchise QB. Williams will be in Chicago during the first week of April, during which he'll pay a visit to Halas Hall and Soldier Field to meet with Bears personnel and coaches, per Adam Hoge.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles is already speaking glowingly about Williams as he does his research on the man rather than the player. He was struck by Williams' attentiveness when the Bears had dinner with the 22-year-old, noting his maturity as he never touched his phone.
Further conversations Poles has conducted with people in Williams' life have shown the Bears GM that the young man is everything he hopes he is and will be.
“When you talk to his teammates, they don’t like him, they love him,” Poles said, via The Athletic. “His leadership, how he brings people together. He’s intentional with his leadership. Same goes with the staff.
“I’m having a hard time finding a person that doesn’t like him or even love him.”
It appears that the Bears have already fallen in love with Caleb Williams the player. Caleb Williams the person is starting to form a great rapport with Chicago's front office. The early April meeting will give the Bears another opportunity to pick Williams' brain and get a better read on his mindset and personality.
Bears building an intriguing roster
While drafting Williams is the focal point of the Bears' offseason, other coinciding moves make Chicago a fascinating team to watch in 2024.
Ryan Poles was busy during the first week of free agency, adding the likes of D'Andre Swift, Kevin Byard and Gerald Everett. He then landed six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Keenan Allen via trade, giving Chicago a formidable one-two punch outside with Allen and DJ Moore.
It's shaping up to be the best offseason of any NFL team in 2024 and could go down as a historic offseason if Caleb Williams turns out to be a generational talent. It might not all work out, but Poles and the Bears have to be applauded for being active and making winning moves.
Though they failed to reach the playoffs for the third year in a row the Bears showed plenty of improvement during the 2023 season. Building off a seven-win season would likely mean a playoff berth for Chicago in 2024, or at least being in contention for a postseason spot late into the season.
Maybe expectations should be slightly dampened with a rookie QB under center, but the playoffs are possible if everything clicks for the Bears this season.
All eyes will be on Chicago's next interaction with Caleb Williams. Barring a massive turn of events, it's only a matter of time before the Bears officially have their new quarterback.
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