Many individuals are expressing doubts about the Chicago Bears’ enthusiasm for Caleb Williams, especially given the team’s defensive-focused head coach, Matt Eberflus. I missed the opportunity to engage in that debate because I was preoccupied pondering the potential of Justin Fields and his reminiscent abilities to Michael Vick. Pairing a transformative quarterback prospect with a defensive-oriented coach isn’t unprecedented; it nearly occurred last year with CJ Stroud.
I’ve previously highlighted how a seasoned quarterback can mesh well with a defensively-minded head coach, avoiding clashes like those between Aaron Rodgers and both Mike McCarthy and Matt LaFleur. Examples include Jim Mora with Peyton Manning and later the Colts with Andrew Luck under Chuck Pagano. While the Colts matched their quarterback with the head coach effectively, Eberflus doesn’t have control over having the first overall pick.
Speaking of Eberflus, he observed Andrew Luck’s tenure against Tony Romo and witnessed Dak Prescott’s emergence. He understands the impact a talented quarterback can have on a team’s trajectory. This isn’t a critique of Justin Fields; rather, it underscores the transformative effect Prescott and Luck had, which every team seeks in a quarterback. Despite Pagano’s tenure not yielding a Super Bowl appearance like Manning’s, Luck’s early retirement altered the team’s trajectory significantly.
Luck’s tenure under Pagano saw success, winning 11 regular-season games in his first three seasons before injuries disrupted his later years. Eberflus and Ryan Poles now have the opportunity to ignite a similar spark in Chicago. While initial success is anticipated, sustaining it poses the real challenge. A successful quarterback, like Caleb Williams, could provide a four-year window of opportunity. Beyond that, the team must adapt and hope the quarterback can maintain performance with a changing roster.
In retrospect, several signs from the Chicago Bears indicated their readiness for a quarterback change. Though they waited until after the start of free agency to trade Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers, a revealing comment from Matt Eberflus at the NFL Scouting Combine hinted at the quarterback transition.
Eberflus shared his criteria for the quarterback position, which, in hindsight, signified the end of Fields’ tenure as the starting quarterback.
While Fields showed development last season, he still faced challenges on third downs and in the fourth quarter, with a significant portion of his interceptions occurring in those situations. Conversely, Williams at USC never threw interceptions on third or fourth down, a statistic that bodes well for the Bears’ playoff aspirations next season, emphasizing the importance of Williams’ ability to avoid turnovers in critical situations.