LAKE FOREST, Ill. (670 The Score) — The storyline is perfect for primetime.
On one sideline Sunday night will be Texans rising star quarterback C.J. Stroud, the reigning AP Rookie of the Year and a Pro Bowl selection in his first season. Stroud threw for 4,108 yards as a rookie in 2023, far more than any quarterback has ever compiled in a single season in Chicago. He led Houston to the playoffs and a win in the AFC’s wild-card round.
On the other sideline will be Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The 22-year-old Williams is tasked with becoming a franchise quarterback for a city that's desperate to see greatness at the position.
As unfair as it may be, some expect Williams to produce like Stroud as a rookie. So, is Williams drawing motivation from Stroud’s 2023 campaign?
“It’s motivation to be able to help the Chicago Bears win games, get to the playoffs and win games there,” Williams said. “I’m trying to do my best day in and day out, mentally, physically, rest, make sure I sleep well, make sure I eat well, make sure I’m doing all the right things throughout the week to lead up to the game to make sure that I'm there to the best of my ability for my team, mentally, physically and spiritually, to be able to go out there and handle business the way we need. So, motivation comes from myself and within this team, this organization, to be able to go out there and win games.”
Williams' NFL debut didn’t go entirely as he hoped, as he was 14-of-29 for 93 yards and no touchdowns Sunday at Soldier Field. But the Bears rallied back from a 17-0 deficit to earn a 24-17 win over the Titans.
Williams was simply along for the ride as the Bears started 1-0. Certainly, he'd like the Bears to replicate the success the Texans had in Stroud's rookie season.
The No. 2 overall pick in 2023, Stroud led the Texans to a 10-7 record and the AFC South crown. Houston was 3-13-1 the year before Stroud arrived as its new quarterback.
Stroud joined Tom Brady and Joe Montana as the only quarterbacks to lead the NFL in passing yards per game (273.9) and touchdown-to-interception ratio (4.6) in the same season. He became the fifth rookie ever to throw for more than 4,000 yards in a season, doing so in just 15 starts.
The Bears are the only franchise in the NFL that has never had a 4,000-yard passer. Williams hopes to change that. First, he must make improvements in practice this week.
“It was around six throws that, obviously, if we would have hit those, everything would have seemed a lot different,” Williams said of his debut. “Throws that we hit in practice all the time on simple routes, on intermediate and then the one or two deep balls. If you hit those, the game, everything kind of explodes and things would have been said differently about how we played on offense. We’re here getting better. Obviously, it’s Week 1 for us. We came out with the win, we’re really excited for that.”
Bears general manager Ryan Poles has expressed his hope that Williams will “lean on the talent around him and then when the time is right – and that’s an instinctual thing and I think that plays right into him – that’s when you do the special.” Chicago’s roster features a strong supporting cast of playmakers around Williams, but talent doesn't guarantee an offense will click on all cylinders from the start.
Rookie seasons like Stroud enjoyed are outliers, and growing pains are simply part of this process.
Williams hopes to measure himself against the likes of Stroud once his rookie season is complete, and that includes a playoff berth being a goal for the Bears. But he isn’t getting ahead of himself by any means.
“The job is hard, the NFL is hard,” Williams said. “The (opposing) defense is going to make it tough on you. So, that's what they are going to do week in and week out. Comparing that to myself and (Stroud’s) rookie year, typically guys coming in, they have to figure it out and things like that. That's what we are doing right now. I didn't have, obviously, the performance I wanted to, so I’m trying to figure it out as fast as possible, making sure we are on the same page, making sure we are handling things that we need to handle.
“The guys in the NFL this week, quarterback-wise, you go and watch it wasn't necessarily Week 16 even for the guys who have been playing ball for 10, 15-plus years. It's always going to be a rough patch. So, understanding that, maintaining your confidence, if not growing it (and) realizing that you can keep getting better. So that's what we are doing, that's what I'm doing."
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.