The Chicago Bears made the decision to select Caleb Williams with the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. And perhaps to nobody’s surprise, they aren’t leaving any debate as to how his rookie season will take place.
Chicago opted to trade Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason in anticipation of drafting Williams. And while the move certainly does make sense, it also means that Williams will likely be pushed into action right away in his rookie season.
The team isn’t making it a secret either. Bears head coach Matt Eberflus removed any doubts on who will start right away in Chicago, naming him the starter during a press conference on Friday.
“No conversation. He’s the starter,” said Eberflus via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
It’s a decision that most expected to hear at some point this offseason. But typically, there is a bit more that goes into this decision, whether it be performance in preseason games or throughout training camp. Last year’s top draft pick, Bryce Young, famously didn’t earn the starting job until late July this past season.
In some ways, you have to respect the Bears for just coming out and making this decision early on in the process. When you consider the other quarterbacks currently on the roster (Tyson Bagent, Brett Rypien, and Austin Reid), there really is no doubt that Williams was going to be the day-one starter.
Now, everyone knows where they stand within the organization as they get ready for the start of the 2024-25 NFL season. And it should certainly be fun to see how Williams is able to perform when he does get his first crack at starting for the Bears.
