Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus has pinned his hopes, job, and loads of pressure on his rookie QB even before camp begins, naming the number one overall pick the starter for the 2024 season.
“No conversation,” Eberflus said of Williams. “He’s the starter.”
“Obviously, you have goals that you set for yourself right in the moment. Also, you have goals in the future,” Williams said. “So that’s important, but also understanding the moment that we’re in and being in that moment is really important. I would say taking it a step at a time, handling it the way it needs to be handled and being professional is really important. All of those go in one.”
Bears had little choice, or reason not to name Williams
“To be a great leader, you’ve got to learn how to follow first. So right now, I’m following all the vets, I’m following all the coaches,” Williams explained. “I’m listening, having both ears open and my mouth shut. When I get to the point, when I learn everything, when I learn the ways of how we do with the culture, the playbook and what the offensive line, receivers are all doing, running backs, tight ends and things like that, then you can start taking the lead, then you can start taking the helms of all of it and take the next steps.
“For right now, though, I’m listening more than I’m speaking and talking, and I’m taking it one step at a time, being in the moment.”
While the timing from the Bears may be questionable, the decision was widely expected. With Tyson Bagent, Brett Rypien, and Austin Reed the only other QB’s on the roster Williams is head and shoulders ahead.
The Bears head coach does however need a solid season from Williams to keep a job that was on a knifes edge at the end of the 2023 season. There are bound to be some teething problems for Williams, so it will be interesting to see how Eberflus handles the seasons ups and downs.
For more like this, you can visit our NFL section here. Also, follow us on Facebook for coverage of the NFL and much more.