The Chicago Bears hope their decades-long search for a franchise quarterback ended Thursday night when they selected USC’s Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft.
Williams, 22, won the Heisman Trophy in 2022 when he threw for 4,537 yards, 42 touchdowns and only 5 interceptions in 500 pass attempts. He is the second Trojans quarterback to be selected with the first pick during the common draft era (Carson Palmer in 2003) and the sixth former USC player to be taken at the top of the draft.
Williams has been labeled a generational talent and has widely been considered the top quarterback prospect in the 2024 draft class, which includes LSU’s Jayden Daniels and North Carolina’s Drake Maye.
It became clear, however, during the pre-draft process that Chicago was not entertaining other top quarterbacks or giving thought to drafting anyone other than Williams with the top pick.
Williams was the only quarterback the Bears hosted on a top-30 visit. Conversely, the Bears were the only team Williams visited ahead of the draft.
Selecting Williams first overall was set in motion earlier this offseason when the Bears traded quarterback Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a 2025 conditional sixth-round pick. Fields, who was drafted 11th overall by Chicago in 2021, started 38 games over three seasons and helped the Bears to a 7-10 record last season, the team’s best finish since 2020.
Williams is the first quarterback drafted by general manager Ryan Poles and coach Matt Eberflus, who were hired by the Bears in 2022.
Days after Fields was traded, the Bears sent a large contingent of at least nine coaches and front office members to USC’s pro day and spent three days getting to know Williams in Los Angeles, which included a private dinner with the quarterback and several of his wide receiver teammates.
