Bears Caleb Williams Draws Polarizing Comparison To Super Bowl QB
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When the Chicago Bears drafted Caleb Williams with the first overall pick in 2024, they hoped that he would be a franchise-altering player. You can argue that he may have already achieved that goal. The Chicago Bears are viewed very differently than they have been over the past decade. Just three years into his career, the Bears are not only NFC North division champions but widely regarded as Super Bowl contenders. Of course, Williams will have to keep developing his game to live up to everything the organization hopes he can be.Williams coincidentally received two comparisons to Super Bowl-winning quarterback Russell Wilson on Friday. Tennessee Titans head coach Robert Saleh made the initial comment ahead of the Bears joint practice with the Titans, stating, “He’s like a modern-day- I don’t want to compare the two, but Russell Wilson…When it got to the fourth quarter [against Wilson], you better be up three scores. There’s no lead safe with Caleb [Williams]. He’s an unbelievable quarterback; he’s elite off-schedule, he can do it all. The amount of growth he’s had in the last year and a half has been amazing.”Saleh finished his remarks with, “He’s a stud in every way.”Then, ironically, Wilson himself made the same comparison later that day in an appearance on NFL on CBS.Wilson listed Williams among his “Top 5 game-changing quarterbacks,” saying, “He reminds me of a young me,” in reference to the Bears’ signal-caller.
Russell Wilson Was Dominant During His Seahawks Tenure
While Wilson’s reputation has shifted throughout his career, he is a favorable comp for Williams.
During the first 10 years of his career, Wilson was a perennial Pro Bowler who helped transform the Seahawks’ franchise into a decade-long contender. The pinnacle of Wilson’s career came when he helped secure the team’s first championship in Super Bowl XLVIII against the Denver Broncos. While the four seasons after his tenure in Seattle have made Wilson a relatively polarizing player, you can’t argue with the success he obtained at the beginning of his career.
If Williams does Wilson’s career arc, then Bears fans could certainly be happy.
However, Pete Martuneac of Sports Illustrated argues that Williams’ aspirations should be even higher.
Bears Should Have Even Higher Expectations For Caleb Williams
“The Chicago Bears did not select Caleb Williams with the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft to have a good career”, Martuneac wrote.
“They selected Williams with the belief that he would have a Hall of Fame career, one littered with Super Bowl victories and MVP trophies. If his career mimics Wilson’s, he won’t be called a failure, but Bears fans will doubtlessly feel like he left a ton of meat on the bone.”
The significance of even a single Super Bowl should not be understated; however, Martuneac is objectively correct. With the talent that Williams possesses and the poise that he’s displayed, there is no reason that he shouldn’t have Patrick Mahomes-level expectations for his career.
Year three will be a big indicator of Williams’ trajectory, but all reports out of Training Camp so far state that he’s made another leap. He will have his first opportunity to show the world how far he’s come on September 13th against the Carolina Panthers.
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