Chicago Bears' Caleb Williams Returns Home vs. Washington Commanders, Jayden Daniels

Former USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams is returning home to Washington D.C. with the Chicago Bears as they face the Washington Commanders on Sunday. The game will feature the No. 1 and No. 2 picks of the 2024 NFL should Jayden Daniels be able to play through a rib injury suffered in Week 7.

Oct 13, 2024; London, United Kingdom; Stacey Dales, NFL Network reporter, and Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) after an NFL International Series game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. / Peter van den Berg-Imagn Images

Former USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams is returning home to Washington D.C. with the Chicago Bears as they face the Washington Commanders on Sunday. The game will feature the No. 1 and No. 2 picks of the 2024 NFL should Jayden Daniels be able to play through a rib injury suffered in Week 7.

As the Bears face the Commanders, Williams is playing his first NFL game in his hometown, Washington D.C. Williams attended Gonzaga College High School before playing his college ball at Oklahoma and USC.

Oct 13, 2024; London, United Kingdom; Stacey Dales, NFL Network reporter, and Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) after an NFL International Series game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. / Peter van den Berg-Imagn Images

Williams and the Bears are coming off of a bye week after playing the Jacksonville Jaguars in London. Bears coach Matt Eberflus praised Williams for the growth he's seen in his rookie quarterback during his weekly press conference on Monday.

“You can really see the improvement through the course of the weeks,” said Eberflus. “I always say that every unit faces its difficulties every single week. . . . I think he’s learning that as we go. He’s learned to really do a good job with the noise. To work through those things and also just basic operation of good quarterbacking. You can see that with the way he’s executed the last few weeks."

The former USC trojan finished with 226 yards through the air, as well as four touchdowns and an interception against Jacksonville. Williams also showed off his ability to make plays with his legs, rushing four times for 56 yards.

“It’s important to have a quarterback, which is why we like Caleb is because he’s accurate and a timely passer, but also has the ability to use his legs to be able to gain chunk yards when they’re there.”

Oct 20, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) walks off the field during the first quarter after an injury against the Carolina Panthers at Northwest Stadium. / Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Fans across the league are anticipating the matchup between the two top picks of the NFL draft, but Daniels' rib injury might keep him on Washington's sidelines. NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported that Jayden Daniels' status for Sunday's game is week-to-week.

"(Daniels') status for this Sunday's big time showdown with the Chicago Bears and Caleb Williams, a game so attractive it was actually flexed to the 4 p.m. (ET) spot, that is now very much in doubt," said Rapoport. "It is not a major injury, this is not something that's going to keep him out multiple games. But from my understanding this is something to monitor, something to watch, and something where it really depends on how he responds to treatment."

Pending Daniels' availability, Sunday's game will feature an exciting quarterback duel between the two rookies.

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