Insider addresses why Bears quickly named Caleb Williams their starter

The Chicago Bears elected to not hold what likely would've been a meaningless quarterback competition and instead named first overall draft pick Caleb Williams their starter ahead of rookie minicamp. 

On Monday, NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated touched upon the club's mindset regarding that decision. 

"Williams' creativity as a football player will give him the escape hatch to make himself right even when he’s wrong," Breer explained. "In other words, on snaps where maybe he doesn’t see things fast enough or the picture is jumbled on him, he can create scramble situations that will allow him to shorten the learning curve."

It's widely assumed that the Bears knew when they traded Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers in March that they were drafting Williams first overall. However, former quarterback and current NFL analyst Ryan Leaf said ahead of the draft that he thought the Bears needed to be "under the understanding" that Williams should sit and develop as a backup later this fall. Others ranked Jayden Daniels of the LSU Tigers as the best quarterback in this year's draft class. 

The Bears clearly disagreed with such assessments. 

Last month, Williams clapped back at ESPN analyst Greg McElroy after McElroy suggested that Williams "never experienced adversity" as a top-tier prospect. Breer addressed Williams' 2023 season on Monday. 

"Last year, just about everything around him at USC came undone," Breer said about Williams. "The line was a mess, the receivers inexperienced, the run game spotty and the defense a disaster—and he weathered the storm. It’s not the same, of course, as adjusting to the NFL. But it should help."

Breer also noted that Chicago isn't in a full-on rebuild. Matt Eberflus has been the club's head coach since January 2022 and has a roster that may need only solid quarterback play to compete for a playoff spot. The team's offensive line along with running backs D'Andre Swift, Roschon Johnson and Khalil Herbert should make life easier for the rookie quarterback. 

"But, for the most part, the Bears feel like they’re set up to give Williams a great chance to excel right away," Breer added. 

As of Monday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook listed Williams as the overall betting favorite at +175 odds to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award for the upcoming campaign. If he ultimately claims that honor, Chicago could make some meaningful noise in the next postseason tournament.