Caleb Williams, the NFL’s No. 1 draft pick, realizes all eyes are on him

It appears the Bears are ready to turn the corner after going a combined 10-24 in their first two seasons under general manager Ryan Poles and coach Matt Eberflus.

Chicago acquired six-time Pro Bowler Keenan Allen from the Los Angeles Chargers, giving it another top receiver to match DJ Moore. The Bears added another potential playmaker at the position when they drafted Washington all-American Rome Odunze at No. 9. But most of all, they think they have their franchise quarterback.

Williams, the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner, has made no attempts to temper expectations. He recently quit The Pivot Podcast that he’s chasing Tom Brady’s record seven Super Bowl wins.

“What’s the reason for ducking?” Williams said. ‘It’s here. There is no reason to stoop. I’m here. Rome is here. Keenan Allen, the top five defense we had last year, special teams, all the new roles – whatever. Were here. I’m excited. I know everyone is excited. The Bears fans are excited about what I’ve heard and seen, and there’s no reason to duck. Attack it head first and go get it.”

Williams acknowledged there might be growing pains. But he insisted he expects to be great straight away.

“Why wouldn’t I?” he said. “Obviously, if there are growing pains, you deal with them. But that doesn’t mean it diminishes your greatness. There are trials and tribulations that you go through. Why would I go somewhere, work so hard for so many years and then start believing in every situation that I’m the best, and then I come here and I don’t believe that? That doesn’t mean I walk around and brag. That doesn’t mean I go around saying that. But the way I handle my work, the way I conduct myself every day, how I treat my friends, family, teammates, the faculty, the executives here, the custodians, whatever the case may be, treat everyone as they are, we ‘We are all equal and everyone should think they are the best when you do things and work so hard for things.”

Williams, who held up a No. 1 jersey on draft night, will wear No. 18 in Chicago. His number at USC – 13 – has been taken by Allen.

Williams has a strong arm, the ability to evade defenders and presence in the pocket. He had 93 touchdown passes and 14 interceptions over three seasons at Oklahoma and USC and captured the Heisman after following coach Lincoln Riley to Los Angeles from Norman.

“He’s not afraid of greatness,” Riley said. “He’s not afraid to put it out there. He’s not afraid to be himself, and I think you have to have that belief in yourself. You have to have that faith in the people around you, and it is contagious. That’s when a leader or a quarterback thinks that way about his team and what they’re trying to accomplish.”

Odunze, who led the nation with a school-record 1,640 receiving yards last season, has watched Williams up close in recent seasons.

“It was shameful to see what he did to our defense,” Odunze said. “Very special and a very unique skill set. When you watch him play, there are things he can do on the field that you don’t see any other quarterback do. He brings a unique set of skills. He’s got a lot of confidence in the pocket, he’s got a lot of confidence in extending a play, and the game is never over until the whistle blows, you know that.”

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Andrew Seligman, The Associated Press