Caleb Williams has a lot of pressure on him heading into his second season with the Chicago Bears.
Not only did No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels catapult into stardom by leading the Washington Commanders all the way to the NFC Championship Game, the former LSU Tiger got all the accolades while Williams got most of the criticism for a very up-and-down rookie campaign. Not to mention Bo Nix, a surprisingly high choice by Sean Payton at No. 12, also led the Denver Broncos to the NFL playoffs in his first year.
Now there are no more excuses for Williams (also a Heisman Trophy winner like Daniels), with former Detroit Lions offensive genius Ben Johnson taking over as the Bears' head coach, and the franchise addressing the beleaguered protection in the offseason by adding center Drew Dalman ($42 million, $28 million guaranteed), guard Joe Thuney from the Kansas City Chiefs, and guard Jonah Jackson from the Los Angeles Rams, and drafting tackle Ozzy Trapilo out of Boston College in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, plus Michigan State's Luke Newman in the fifth.
But the most important decision by Williams, 23, this offseason has nothing to do with what's happening on the field. It's what the former USC Trojans star is doing away from it that matters most - he's hanging out in Chicago.
It might seem trivial to many NFL fans, but in a sports-crazed town like Chicago, showing that you love Chi-Town goes a long way towards building trust and loyalty.
Yesterday, it was showing up at Wrigley Field for a Chicago Cubs game.
Last month, it was sitting courtside at the Chicago Bulls NBA Play-In Tournament - fashion faux pas in Green Bay Packers colors excluded.
And when Johnson showed up to Wrigley with his entire family to throw a nasty sinker for a first pitch for the Cubs game less than a week later, guess who was there to cheer him on - Williams. Also don't forget, the DC native was there to support the NFL Assistant Coach of the Year at his Bears introductory press conference.
In the end, it'll be how Williams progresses under Johnson's tutelage that will matter the most in a still loaded NFC North.
But the Lions will almost certainly take a step back, losing both coordinators, as defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn took the New York Jets head coaching gig. The Packers are figuring out how special Jordan Love can be, and the Minnesota Vikings are transitioning to the unknown talents of fellow 2024 first-rounder (No. 10 overall) J.J. McCarthy coming off knee surgery.
Williams has a chance to become the darling of Chicago. What he's doing this offseason is smartly building the foundation.
