Picking a quarterback isn't just about identifying the right talent. Timing can also play a huge part in finding the right guy. For years, the Chicago Bears have always seemed just a little too early or late to the party. They drafted Jim McMahon a year before John Elway, Dan Marino, and Jim Kelly entered the NFL. They drafted Rex Grossman a year before Eli Manning, Phillip Rivers, and Ben Roethlisberger arrived. Then they drafted Justin Fields a year after Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, and Jalen Hurts came in. That is why it felt somewhat fortuitous that the Bears managed to land the #1 overall pick in a year many felt the draft class was deep in talent. That is how they ended up with Caleb Williams.
While his rookie season was rough to watch at times, Chicago's young quarterback has matured rapidly over the past few months. Since November 24th, he has 19 touchdowns, three interceptions, and a passer rating of 96.2. He also has two 4th quarter comebacks in his last five games. It's looking more and more like he is a keeper. What makes drafting him look even better is how iffy the landscape of young quarterbacks has been after that year. Early returns from the 2025 class are meh. Cam Ward doesn't look great in Tennessee. Jaxon Dart won his first start, but hardly carried the load. Nobody else has remotely stood out.
If that weren't enough, the 2026 class is looking even worse based on the latest evidence.
- Drew Allar - Just lost to winless UCLA
- Arch Manning - Lost to 1-3 Florida and has 5 INTs in five games
- Garrett Nussmeier - Pedestrian stats and ugly game in loss to Ole Miss
- John Mateer - Injured
- LaNorris Sellers - Looked inconsistent all year with losses to Vanderbilt and Missouri
The Bears' selection of Caleb Williams was a remarkable case of timing.
Don't forget they had a chance to shoot their shot a year earlier in 2023. GM Ryan Poles chose to pass, trading the #1 pick to Carolina. They took Bryce Young, who is 7-25 as a starter with an 80.8 passer rating since the start of his second season. C.J. Stroud has had more team success, making the playoffs in back-to-back years, but his productivity has cratered since mid-October of last season. He has 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in his last 15 games. Caleb Williams has soundly outplayed both of them.
Poles deserves plenty of blame for Chicago's continued struggles with winning football games. He has made lots of mistakes. However, it appears he may have picked his moment to grab a quarterback perfectly. Based on the information we have, 2024 was the absolute ideal time to take a swing. Every other year he's been on the job has produced underwhelming classes. It looks like 2026 will be no different. Maybe karma was on the Bears' side for the first time in decades.
