The Chicago Bears made the decision to move on from Justin Fields and usher in a new era with Caleb Williams, who was selected first overall in the 2024 NFL draft.
The Bears haven’t handled quarterback development well in the past. It was why many were concerned about whether they could do right by Williams. But from everything we’ve seen so far, this time appears to be different.
Look no further than with head coach Matt Eberflus making it clear that Williams is the unquestioned starting quarterback — and he’s yet to hit the practice field with his veteran teammates.
“No conversation. He’s the starter,” Eberflus told reporters Friday ahead of rookie minicamp.
From everything we’ve seen in recent history, the Bears were content with bringing in a veteran to start while planning to sit their new rookie — including taking away valuable reps during offseason workouts and training camp.
Fields is the most recent example. After trading up to select Fields, former head coach Matt Nagy immediately declared Andy Dalton the starter without giving Fields an opportunity to compete for the starting job.
But the Bears have handled this well from the start. General manager Ryan Poles has done everything to make this an ideal situation for a rookie like Williams, including adding an arsenal of weapons (like DJ Moore, Keenan Allen and Rome Odense), shoring up the offensive line and keeping a top-10 defense in tact.
Now, as Williams hits the practice field at Halas Hall for the first time with rookie minicamp, the Bears are doing something they haven’t done before: Letting their rookie quarterback develop from the start.
