The Chicago Bears drafted quarterback Caleb Williams to serve as the primary author of an organizational turnaround, just as C.J. Stroud did for the Houston Texans last season.
Williams watched his former peer take the NFL by storm in 2023. Stroud — who played his college football for Ohio State and went No. 2 in the draft — finished the campaign with Offensive Rookie of the Year honors and stood out in playoff victory, during which he picked apart the Cleveland Browns‘ top-ranked defense to the tune of 274 yards and 3 TDs on 16-of-21 passing.
On the Friday, August 2 edition of ESPN’s “First Take,” host Stephen A. Smith asked Williams a direct question about his ability to replicate Stroud’s rookie success.
.@stephenasmith: “Is it wrong for me to say I saw C.J. Stroud do that last year in Houston, I think [you] could do that [in Chicago]?”
@CALEBcsw: “No.” 👀
“Is it wrong for me to say I saw C.J. Stroud do that last year in Houston, I think this brother can do that here this year?” Smith said. “Am I wrong for saying that?”
“No,” Williams responded with a smile.
Bears, Caleb Williams Have Much in Common With Texans, C.J. Stroud
GettyQuarterback C.J. Stroud of the Houston Texans.
The comparisons between the Texans in 2023 and the Bears in 2024 extend beyond just the additions of top rookie quarterbacks in Stroud and Williams, respectively.
Houston picked twice in the top-10 of the 2023 draft (Nos. 2 and 3), as Chicago did this year (Nos. 1 and 9). The Texans added a playmaking rookie wide receiver in Tank Dell, while the Bears have done the same with Rome Odunze.
Chicago finished 3-14 in 2022 while the Texans were 3-13-1. The latter landed Stroud and went from worst to first in the AFC South Division with a record of 10-7 last season. The Bears finished last in a competitive NFC North in 2023 at 7-10 and have a shorter journey to the top of a division the Detroit Lions won last year at 12-5.
Chicago added talent in for Williams this offseason in Odunze and Pro Bowler Keenan Allen, while DJ Moore and tight end Cole Kmet were already in-house. There are questions about the offensive line, but the Bears have the talent at the skill positions to be among the most potent offenses in the league, and Williams knows it.
“It was exciting,” Williams said of watching Stroud’s rookie campaign. “It’s never happened, obviously, for someone to come in like that and have an explosive offense the way they did. And it’s just, we got guys to do it. So just preparing for those times, that moment.”
Caleb Williams Making Strides With Bears’ Offense, Teammates
GettyChicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams.
Williams is beginning to put the pieces together in training camp, as he familiarizes himself with the talent around him.
Dan Graziano of ESPN reported on Saturday that Williams and Odunze appear joined at the hip.
“[Williams] and rookie wideout Rome Odunze looked like they have an extremely strong connection,” Graziano wrote after attending practice sessions on July 30 and 31. “Odunze made a couple of dazzling catches in two-minute drills, and he and Williams seemed to be together every time they walked on or off the field during the team portion of practice.”
Bears head coach Matt Eberflus also spoke about how Williams, who won’t turn 23 years old until November, has grown in the offense.
“[Williams is] cleaning it up, washing it, going through everything one more time,” Eberflus said, per Graziano. “And he’s really just learning, right now, the skill sets of the players. That’s so important, to be able to learn how X receiver runs this particular route, or Y receiver runs this type of route.”
Chicago will play its second preseason game on Saturday, August 10, on the road against the Buffalo Bills.
