Bears Reportedly Used Genius Tactic During Caleb Williams Evaluation
For weeks, people have tried to make sense of how the Chicago Bears became so convinced that Caleb Williams was their guy. It’s been enough that they didn’t even bother meeting with any of the other top quarterbacks privately ahead of the draft. It can’t be his talent, substantial as it is. Something must’ve happened along the way that told them he was exactly what they were looking for. GM Ryan Poles seems sold on him for various reasons: his talent, his poise under pressure, and his slow pulse in big moments. However, he knew surviving in Chicago would take more than that.
One common say in the NFL is that “the players know.” They can tell early on if a certain player has what it takes to be in the league or not. So, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Poles hatched a crafty plan when Williams came for his private visit.
“When Caleb Williams visited Chicago in early April, the Bears did something smart. 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 genius of this move is subtle. Rather than wait until after making the pick to have their locker room leaders assess the kid, Poles jumped ahead by bringing them together weeks before the draft. If Kmet, Moore, and the rest came away with concerns, it would’ve been a clear red flag for the Bears brass. They would’ve then had time to pivot to one of the other QBs. By all accounts, the dinner went well. The team has been on the Williams train ever since.
Caleb Williams isn’t shy about speaking his mind.
He proved that in a recent interview on the Pivot Podcast. The guy expresses himself, unafraid to tell the truth. It isn’t hard to understand why teammates love him. Such an open personality is easy to gravitate towards, especially when he’s really good at what he does. Don’t forget guys like Edwards and Moore have played with former or current star quarterbacks. Edwards was with Jalen Hurts in Philadelphia. Moore spent time with Cam Newton in Carolina. Keenan Allen, who met Williams at USC’s pro day, played with both Philip Rivers and Justin Herbert. These guys know what the good ones look like.
The fact they seemed to sign off on Caleb Williams is a great sign for the Bears. The players know. Remember, these guys were staunch supporters of Justin Fields. They easily could’ve entered that dinner, intent on grilling the potential #1 pick. It didn’t happen. Williams made the right impression. Now, he is four days away from becoming their next quarterback.