Chicago Bears Caleb Williams, Rome Odunze Poised For Sophomore Jump?

"Rome Odunze told me Caleb Williams can literally be the best quarterback in the NFL. He's far away from that right now. . . . Ben Johnson has been relentless on him with the details," said Fowler.

"They're just trying to get him to do the basics right now, and then they'll work on the off-scripted plays, the mobility, all of his strengths. That will come. Now, 'Chicago Bears elite quarterback play' is an oxymoron. It's always been that way, but as far as the ability, they see it. The players recognize it," Fowler continued.

Odunze played college football with the Washington Huskies and quarterback Michael Penix Jr., now with the Atlanta Falcons. Both Penix and Williams were selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, meaning Odunze is familiar with high-level quarterback play.

Can Williams truly become the best quarterback in the NFL?

USC Trojans coach Lincoln Riley is known to coach some of the best quarterbacks to come out of college in recent memory, including Philadelphia Eagles' Jalen Hurts and Arizona Cardinals' Kyler Murray. Like Hurts and Murray, Williams won the Heisman Trophy while playing for Riley, but can the former USC star have the same success in the NFL?

Other Predictions For Caleb Williams:

Odunze is not the only one with high expectations for Williams, however. Fox Sports' Nick Wright recently predicted that Williams could be considered the top quarterback of the NFC North, beating out Detroit Lions signal-caller Jared Goff as well as Green Bay Packers' Jordan Love.

Part of the optimism surrounding Williams is the Bears' hiring of Ben Johnson, previously Detroit's offensive coordinator.

"By the end of this season, Caleb Williams will be, by many, considered the best quarterback in his division. I think Jared Goff is going to suffer a bit from the lack of Ben Johnson," said Wright. "As much as you don't like Ben Johnson the head coach, you loved Ben Johnson the coordinator, and the early reports out of that training camp are that that transition's been a little rocky."

Despite the high expectations for Williams, Chicago has the longest odds (+550) of winning the division behind the Vikings, Packers, and Lions.

• Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. 
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