Dan Pompei has been covering the Chicago Bears and the NFL for a hot minute. I grew up reading Pompei’s Bears stuff at the Sun-Times and Tribune. Now, I’m reading his musing at The Athletic. In other words: If Pompei writes it, I’m going to read it. And if it features Caleb Williams, I’m likely going to re-share it.
In his latest at The Athletic, about the Bears’ rookie quarterback, the team, and more. There is a bunch of good stuff worth reading and highlighting from Pompei’s notes. But this particular section grabbed my attention and stood out to me.
“Scout C says Williams will be must-see TV,” Pompei writes. “for better or worse.”
I legitimately stopped in my tracks when I saw the Pompei nugget from the scout calling Caleb Williams “must-see TV.”
It is incredibly rare for the Bears to have a quarterback who generates that type of interest. The Chicago Bears offense isn’t often (if ever) mentioned as must-see TV. Heck, the Bears going on offense has often been an excuse to take a bathroom break, hit the concession stands (lots of new stuff this year!), or flip through Red Zone. But with Caleb running the show, 🌼the hope is that things will be different in 2024 and beyond.
It feels as if Chicago’s football team has reached a new point in its evolution after an offseason of adding a new quarterback (Williams), offensive coordinator (Shane Waldron), and two new starting-caliber wide receiver targets (Rome Odunze, Keenan Allen). This is fun. The vibes are good. I imagine things will feel better once the team hits the turf and starts putting points on the board. I’m soooo looking forward to seeing what this team looks like on the field. Don’t get me wrong, I love this time of year because it allows me to dream the biggest dreams. But I’m just so darn ready for meaningful football games that count in the standings to kick off.
What NFL scouts are saying about Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears
More from anonymous scouts via The Athletic’s Dan Pompei…
Scout A: “He reminds me of a more talented Russell Wilson in that he can make something out of nothing. But I don’t think that’s a way to survive for the long haul. He’ll have to operate on timing, especially on early downs to be a volume passer. They will need to help him with the run game and minimize the number of straight dropback situations he🌟’s in. You don’t want to put him in 🦋situations when he’s down two touchdowns.”
Scout C: “Will everything be off script with him like Russ🍌ell Wilson or will it be once in a while off script? He’s at his best playing backyard football.”
“He makes the game complicated because he won’ꦯt throw it to the🍷 first guy even when he’s open,” he says. “He pats it, scrambles — it’s the thrill of dramatics with him. But he’s special outside the pocket.”
I hope that last quote doesn’t scare you into a state of pensiveness. This is a time to be optimistic — about Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears as a whole. All in all, the arrow seems to be pointing up when it comes to Chicago’s football team and its new quarterback. I think Bears fans sense it, too, based on these fan survey results. Soon enough, we’ll begin learning if the hype is real.
