LAKE FOREST, Ill. (670 The Score) — When he emerges from the northwest tunnel of Soldier Field just before noon Sunday, Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams plans to halt his stride and shift into a full-circle spin.
Williams will glance across the field and look toward each corner of the stadium as the energy is palpable around him. It will be a symbolic moment in a deliberate plan that the 22-year-old Williams long ago drew up for himself – and it will also be the dawn of a new day for the Bears.
The moment won’t be lost on Williams or the fans.
“Take it all in,” Williams said. “And feel the energy, the vibe and get going from there. (But) once I do my spin and get down to the sideline, it's go time.”
With Williams under center, Sunday will mark the start of a much-anticipated new era for the Bears, one they hope leads to lasting success and championships. Chicago believes it finally has a franchise quarterback in Williams, the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft in April.
The Bears have supported Williams by surrounding him with dynamic offensive weapons and a strong defense. They also immediately named him their starting quarterback, paving the way for him to grow into a leadership role and to receive all the reps with the first-team offense.
Now, it’s time to see where Williams can take the Bears, who will meet the Titans at noon on Sunday.
“I just want him to go out there and play football for real,” Bears receiver DJ Moore said. “Do what he’s been doing. He’s a winner, so lead us to a win.”
One trait in particular in Williams stood out to six-time Pro Bowl receiver Keenan Allen.
“The confidence,” Allen said. “He’s always been the guy.”
Leadership is a natural element of Williams’ place as the starting quarterback, but for him, that was a careful process upon joining the Bears.
Initially upon reporting to Halas Hall, Williams followed the lead of his veteran teammates and often kept to himself. In time, he grew more comfortable and peeled back the curtains of his personality. Soon enough, the Bears were looking to him as a leader – even as a rookie.
Williams was recently voted by his teammates as one of the Bears' eight captains for this season.
“To be named a captain by my peers and colleagues, my teammates and my friends and brothers, I'm extremely grateful, extremely happy,” Williams said.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles wants to see Williams “lean on the talent around him” early in his rookie season. That includes an offensive core of Moore, Allen, rookie receiver Rome Odunze, running back D’Andre Swift and tight end Cole Kmet.
Just as the Bears have set Williams up for success, they've also prepared him for the challenges that await. The team has tested him in practice with the intention of helping him improve.
There's no way to script what could unfold in a regular-season game, but the Bears believe they've set Williams up to overcome the adversity that looms.
“There's going to be adversity throughout the course of this game and there's going to be adversity throughout the course of the season,” Bears head coach Matt Eberflus said. “Everybody faces it. It's how you respond to it. I really believe you can set that up ahead of time rather than reacting, because when you react to something, a lot of times it's not your best person that you want to be.
“You can set your response up and understand, 'This is how I'm going to respond to this,' with a can-do attitude and moving on to the next play and bringing my teammates along rather than the other way, when you react and you do things that you don't want to do.”
Williams will lead a Bears team that carries considerable expectations into the new season. The Bears have positioned themselves to be a playoff contender in 2024 and beyond.
For his part, Williams set the goals of winning the Heisman Trophy in college and being the No. 1 overall draft pick. He accomplished both. The grand goal on his checklist as he surveys his NFL future is to win eight Super Bowl titles, which would be one more than the record held by legendary quarterback Tom Brady.
Williams’ NFL debut is looming Sunday. It's a day that Chicago has longed to see, but there's no script for what will unfold from here.
With that in mind, Williams is keeping his goal simple for Sunday.
“The wins are the most important thing,” Williams said. “As long as we get that win at the end of the day, 100 yards (or) 400, it’s all the same.
“I’m going to do whatever I need to do for my team to win.”
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.