Bears expected to get steady start from QB Caleb Williams by ESPN

What kind of impact can Caleb Williams have on the Bears as a rookie after being the top pick of the 2024 NFL Draft?

Cory Kinnan | May 28, 2024

May 10, 2024; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams during a press conference before Chicago Bears rookie minicamp at Halas Hall. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports / David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

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Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears, due to a trade the year before with the Carolina Panthers, put themselves in a position to land quarterback Caleb Williams with the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. They have already named him their starting quarterback and do not plan to ease him in at all after preparing Williams for his duties pre-draft.

What can the Bears expect from Williams in year-one, however? One fantasy football analyst thinks Williams will have a modest and steady rookie season after a Heisman-winning campaign at USC.

ESPN's Mike Clay expects Williams to jump onto the scene at the NFL level. Clay gave league-wide projections and has estimated that Williams will throw for 3,538 yards passing with 23 touchdowns and 13 interceptions for the Bears in 2024. A dual threat, Clay also has projected Williams to add another 311 yards and three touchdowns with his legs as a rookie.

While this could be seen as a disappointing rookie season for Williams after the dominant year C.J. Stroud had for the Houston Texans right out of college, this would be a promising start to his career. The Bears hope they have their franchise guy, and this would be an indication that they do.

Published May 28, 2024|Modified May 28, 2024

CORY KINNAN

Cory is a football fanatic and has been creating NFL Draft content for six years on various platforms. From creating his own quarterback accuracy metric to getting into the weeds of what makes a prospect tick, Cory brings an in-depth perspective to NFL Draft coverage