Windy City Gridiron
In this series, we look back at the biggest moves from a year ago and review how they have panned out up to this point.
Last up in our 2024 rearview mirror series is QB1, Caleb Williams.
April 25th, 2024
A date that will either be remembered as one of, if not THE most important in the storied history of the NFL’s most iconic teams - or forgotten like nearly every other date attached to a Chicago Bears Quarterback.
April 27th, 1982 - Jim McMahon was drafted 5th overall
April 28th, 1987 - Jim Harbaugh was drafted 26th overall
April 17th, 1999 - Cade McNown was drafted 12th overall
April 26th, 2003 - Rex Grossman was drafted 22nd overall
April 2nd, 2009 - Jay Cutler was acquired through trade with Denver
April 27th, 2017 - Mitch Trubisky was drafted 2nd overall
April 29th, 2021 - Justin Fields was drafted 11th overall
That is 7 first-round QBs with only 1 Super Bowl win to show for it in the last 40+ years.
Considering the season Washington Commanders Quarterback Jayden Daniels had, it is a fair question. Daniels led his franchise to a deep playoff run and earned himself Offensive Rookie of the Year honors along with a Pro Bowl nod. Would you prefer Daniels under center in Chicago?
If we’re being honest, these are all fair questions, but I remain confidently seated on the Caleb Williams bandwagon and believe he is easily the best QB prospect we have ever had and, with Ben Johnson now leading the offense, is the best potential option for us to win multiple championships. Brian Urlacher appears to feel the same.
Despite a year where he led the league in sacks taken (and sacks avoided, see below), Caleb also set some records as a rookie in Chicago, including most passing yards, most passing TDs, most completions, and most passing yards in a single game (363). He also set the NFL rookie record for most attempts without an interception at 326.
Much has been said about Caleb Williams’ rookie season, including this marvelous piece by our own Jeff Berckes, where he examines Caleb’s Passer Rating. To have the season Caleb had with the ineptitude within his coaching staff and an offensive line that was unable to protect him, I am extremely excited to see what he can do with a much-improved OL and one of the league's finest offensive minds.
If we can see more plays like these, I think we Bears fans have plenty of reasons to remember the date it finally turned around: April 25th, 2024.
Check out the other 2024 player acquisition reviews here:
