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NFL analyst not ruling out Caleb Williams taking the Bears to the Super Bowl originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

No rookie quarterback has ever won a Super Bowl. No rookie quarterback has ever competed in a Super Bowl in their first season.

But can Caleb Williams become the first?

"This is my bold prediction. Forget guaranteeing the playoffs. ... I think Caleb could lead the Bears to the Super Bowl in his rookie season," Nick Wright said on "First Things First" on FS1.

Why does Wright think that's possible despite there being no evidence to suggest its probability?

"We have seen rookie quarterbacks step in, be excellent, and the team be contenders," Wright said. "... The idea that rookie quarterbacks don't ever step in and have success is belied by history. And this Bears team is, I think, a playoff team with just slightly below-average quarterback play. They were a seven-win team last year and they added [Rome] Odunze, they added Keenan Allen."

To Wright's point, there are rookie quarterbacks who have seen and had success in the playoffs. Last year, we saw it when C.J. Stroud took the Texans to the playoffs and took them to the divisional round. Dak made the divisional round with the Cowboys in his rookie year.

To go a step further, five quarterbacks in NFL history have played in a conference championship game. Rams' Shaun King (2000), Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger (2005), Ravens' Joe Flacco (2009), Jets' Mark Sanchez (2010) and 49ers' Brock Purdy (2023).

There, we can establish rookie quarterbacks aren't incapable of postseason success. Wright adds the Bears' schedule favors an easy ascension into his first year, also. They face five teams expected to struggle next season in the first 10 weeks, including the Patriots, Commanders, Cardinals, Panthers and Titans.

The Bears don't play a divisional game until Week 11 when the Bears take on the Packers. Because the NFC North appears to be one of the league's top divisions next season, their 10-week start without divisional opponents gives Williams time to come into himself, first.

We know Williams has the confidence to make postseason success happen, too. Upon arriving in Chicago, he spoke with the team early on about his long-term goals of winning multiple championships and creating a football résumé that could go toe-to-toe with Tom Brady's by the end of his career.

And, as Wright mentioned, Williams is walking into a team that appears ready to compete in the postseason. He has proven weapons in Allen, Odunze and DJ Moore. And the Bears' defense finished phenomenally last season, finishing top-five in scoring in the final few weeks.

The momentum is on the Bears' side, it's a matter of how quickly the newcomers can gel with each other before the regular season gets underway. Outside of that component, Wright believes the Bears have the tools to make something special happen.

"In that weak NFC with that type of momentum, not having to play any divisional games until the last third of his rookie season when he's more seasoned, I could see the Bears shocking everyone but me," Wright said.