They say timing is everything. You’d rather be lucky than good. The Chicago Bears have endured decades of misery at the quarterback position. Much of that comes down to their own bad decisions. Some of the highlights are taking Mitch Trubisky over Patrick Mahomes, sticking with Rex Grossman over drafting Aaron Rodgers, and selecting Cade McNown. However, much of it was also about bad luck. They lost a coin flip for Terry Bradshaw in 1970 and came one loss away from landing Peyton Manning in 1998. Luck has not been on their side in these situations. Has that changed with Caleb Williams?
Thinking about the entire scenario is insane. Remember, all of it started when the Houston Texans won a ridiculous last-second comeback over Indianapolis in 2022 to hand Chicago the worst record in the NFL and, thus, the #1 overall pick. GM Ryan Poles traded that pick to Carolina for wide receiver D.J. Moore, the 9th pick, and three additional picks, including the Panthers’ 1st rounder in 2024. The Panthers proceeded to have one of their worst seasons in franchise history, miraculously handing the Bears the #1 pick for the second straight year right as Williams was set to go pro.
To help people understand how much of a lottery win this is for Chicago, Bill Zimmerman spoke to a former NFL general manager about where Williams ranks among quarterback prospects he’s evaluated. The answer was enlightening, to say the least.
I spoke with a former NFL GM, his career dates back 40+ years, I asked him who he believes the top 5 QB prospects are across that time.
He gave me his 5 and believes general consensus would mostly agree w him:
John Elway
Peyton Manning
Andrew Luck
Trevor Lawrence
Caleb Williams
— Bill Zimmerman (@BillTZimmerman) March 24, 2024
Caleb Williams is held in rare company.
Being a great prospect doesn’t guarantee NFL immortality, of course. Yet it’s important to remember those other four names all found success at the pro level. Elway and Manning are both in the Hall of Fame. Andrew Luck would’ve been if injuries hadn’t forced him into an early retirement. While Lawrence hasn’t quite reached elite status yet, he’s made a Pro Bowl and won a playoff game in his first three seasons. If Williams is indeed on that same tier, the Bears are about to land by far the best quarterback in franchise history.
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That isn’t saying much when Jay Cutler is your all-time passing leader. Sid Luckman remains the gold standard at the position in Chicago despite retiring in the 1950s. The Bears’ inability to embrace the quarterback-driven style that the NFL became is why the Green Bay Packers were able to overtake them in the rivalry. Caleb Williams has a chance to finally get this organization back in the fight. GM Ryan Poles has set the table for him with a solid offensive line and two stud receivers in D.J. Moore and Keenan Allen.
If he’s as good as this former general manager and others say, then fans are in for a treat.
