Bears Had Caleb Williams Meet With Teammates Rather Than Front Office

Highlights

The Chicago Bears are taking an unusual pre-draft approach, sending Caleb Williams to dinner with team leaders instead of the front office.
This confident move shows the team’s belief in expected No. 1 pick Williams and aims to build chemistry early.
Despite past QB draft woes, the Bears are set up for a major turnaround with Williams in 2024.

The Chicago Bears are taking a slightly unorthodox approach to pre-draft buildup with their potential day-one prospects.

Rather than meeting with the front office and coaches like a traditional top 30 visit, Chicago elected to send the expected No. 1 pick, Caleb Williams, out to dinner with some of the Bears’ veteran leaders on the team, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

While this is a tad out of the ordinary, it makes sense for a team whose draft-day selection has been all but set in stone for months leading up to the 2024 NFL Draft. The Bears know they got their guy, so why not get a head start on building chemistry between the future rookie signal caller and the core leaders in the locker room?

Schefter’s report stated:

Rather than have Williams go to dinner with their front office and coaches, they sent him to dinner with team leaders Cole Kmet, DJ Moore, T.J. Edwards and others. The thinking was, those are some of the team’s most respected players, the players who others listen to, and this group then would be able to tell the other players what they were getting in Williams, who is likely to be the No. 1 overall pick.

The group enjoyed a meal at Sophia Steak in Lake Forest, likely discussing the ins and outs of the upcoming season in which the Bears have the potential for a major turnaround.

Worst to First: How the Chicago Bears Can Win the Super Bowl in 2024

Believe it or not, the Bears are Super Bowl contenders with a revamped offense and improved defense.

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This is a confident move, one that makes you assume the front office believes they’ve found “their guy”

Caleb Williams — Credit: Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports

Several times in years past — Justin Fields, Rex Grossman, Mitchell Trubisky, Cade McNown, Jim McMahon — the Bears have failed to successfully pick out future franchise quarterbacks from talented draft classes.

This time around, the Bears have the luxury of having the No. 1 pick, courtesy of the Carolina Panthers, and have their pick of the litter in 2024. Despite not throwing or participating in any NFL Scouting Combine workouts, Williams shined in his pro day and has Bears fans around the league foaming at the mouth, especially after a bevy of offseason moves that significantly improved the talent around their future rookie signal caller.

Caleb Williams’ Career Stats
Year	Passing Yards	Passing TDs	INTs	Completion Percentage
2021	1,912	21	4	64.5%
2022	4,537	42	5	66.6%
2023	3,633	30	5	68.6%

The green flags continue to be waved when it comes to Williams, who recently stated he hopes to play his entire career with one organization, and has had nothing but positive things to say about Chicago as a whole.

While Williams enjoyed a nice steak dinner with his assumed future teammates, the Bears’ front office and coaching staff continued with top 30 visits as normal. Considering Chicago holds the No. 9 pick as well, there is still a ton of work to do regarding their second first-round decision on draft night.

GIVEMESPORT currently has the Bears slated to select Dallas Turner, an EDGE rusher out of Alabama, in our latest mock draft. However, with the cards practically already submitted for Williams at No. 1, anything can happen as teams fill out the top 10 picks.

Source: ESPN

All statistics courtesy of Pro Football Reference unless stated otherwise.