Chicago Bears Training Camp 2024: Plan for Caleb Williams could be better than what previous regime had

The Chicago Bears are utilizing a different plan for rookie quarterback Caleb Williams than what the previous regime did for their young quarterbacks. They feel this is a better plan for success.

The Chicago Bears hired Ryan Poles to change the franchise’s culture. The team wanted him to break the cycle of losing and low morale. It was a tough task for Poles. The team has, for the better part of three decades, failed to be relevant. Sure, there have been some good seasons here and there, but for the most part, it has been a practice of misery for the team and its fans.

Now Poles is the latest in a long line of General Managers who tried to bring back a consistently winning Chicago Bears team. They all failed in their attempts. There have been many more losses than wins.

Additionally, the Chicago Bears have become a team associated with the bottom feeders of the NFL. They have a few stars, but for the most part, the franchise wastes their abilities. It is not a place where free agents want to go.

Poles is starting to change that. He is doing his best to build a full team that can compete for titles. This is Year 3 of his rebuild and it seems that the team is ready to take the step forward to become winners. The point is not to be winners for a season or two, but for many years to come.

A crucial part needed for the rebuild to succeed is the quarterback. Having the wrong quarterback can set a team backward for half a decade. Poles felt that popular quarterback Justin Fields was not the answer to the Chicago Bears’ failures. He had the number one pick in the draft and wanted to change things at the top.

Caleb Willams was considered by many to be a generational talent. He was the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner. Despite pulling one of the greatest trades in franchise history in 2023, which involved the number one overall pick, Poles decided that, while the deal was great, he was not going to pull the trigger on another one. He used the top pick to select Williams.

Poles uses a different approach from the previous regime

Caleb Williams was Poles’ guy and he was bringing him to Chicago. However, he had to make sure he put the rookie in a position to succeed. This offseason, he set out to do just that. He overhauled the offense so Williams had plenty of targets and protection.

This is something different from what the previous regime did. Ryan Pace had two shots at developing young quarterbacks. He picked Mitchell Trubisky with the number two pick of the 2017 draft. He also drafted Fields with the 11th pick of the 2021 draft.

As you can see, Willams is the third young quarterback drafted by the Chicago Bears in eight drafts. The previous two picks did not work. Poles is hoping that his plan works better than what Pace did.

With Pace, the team decided to have a veteran quarterback be the QB1 while the youngster sat and learned. Trubisky had Mike Glennon while Fields had Andy Dalton. The thought was that the rookie could watch and learn from the veterans and then be ready to step up the next season.

Poles’ plan involved giving the keys to the offense to the rookie. Instead of bringing in a veteran (or keeping Fields), he decided that WIlliams was the guy right away. He added six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Keenan Allen and ninth overall pick Rome Odunze. Also, he added tight end Gerald Everett and running back D’Andre Swift.

As for protection, Poles brought in Ryan Bates, Coleman Shelton, and Matt Pryor. He also used the draft to select Kiran Amegadjie. The offensive line looks like it will be stronger and better to protect the quarterback in 2024.

This is Caleb Williams’ offense now. He runs the show. Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus have an abundance of confidence in the rookie. They feel it is better to just have him in there. Giving him the best situation any quarterback drafted number one certainly helps. This is what Eberflus said about giving Williams control of the offense.

No conversation. He’s the starter. For me, it’s just believing in Caleb. Putting him in there and let’s go. I think that the expectation is for him to be the starter. He is the starter when we drafted him and that’s where we put him in; put him in the position to do that. And we’re going to do a great job of supporting him to get him ready for the first game.

Poles’ plan is also different from other teams. The Washington Commanders have backup Marcus Mariota and second overall pick Jayden Daniels split snaps with the starters. The New England Patriots announced that Jacoby Brissett will start over Drake Maye. The Minnesota Vikings will give most of their starters snaps to Sam Darnold over J.J. McCarthy.

All these rookies will be splitting time with veterans. Meanwhile, the Chicago Bears have Williams and his backup is second-year man Tyson Bagent, who was an undrafted rookie. Williams is up high without a net to protect him. He does have that great offense, though.

There will be ups and downs with Williams, of course. He is still a rookie. However, he could end up being special right from the beginning. The Chicago Bears hope this is the plan that works. If it does, things will be fun around Soldier Field once again.

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