George McCaskey hopes Bears fans remain patient during Caleb Williams’ first season, per new interview originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
The excitement ahead of the Bears‘ 2024 regular season isn’t measurable.
The energy around the city is palpable, as the preseason slate is out of the way and all that’s left is the first game that counts. The Bears will open up their season at home against the Titans on Sept. 8.
And with No. 1 pick Caleb Williams running the offense under center, the excitement is even greater for the rookie quarterback. The Bears have never had a passer throw for under 4,000, a truly abysmal franchise statistic. Fans’ excitement can’t be contained with a possible franchise quarterback on the cusp of his first season.
But Bears chairman George McCaskey recently told the Chicago Sun-Times he hopes fans stay patient with Williams.
“Typically, the No. 1 pick in the draft comes into a situation where it’s going to take a while for things to come together,” McCaskey said on Thursday. “Caleb’s got a lot of support — a solid defense, good receivers, good offensive line, a good running game, tight ends. But I hope people will be patient. There are going to be growing pains. He’s going to make mistakes. That’s part of the learning process for any young quarterback.”
It might be tough for some Bears fans to understand. But it’s true. It takes rookie quarterbacks a long process to get acclimated to the NFL. That’s why no rookie quarterback has ever won the Super Bowl in his first season.
Luckily, Williams has a strong roster around him, which is rare for a rookie quarterback. The Bears front office did an excellent job piecing together their roster over the last two seasons. But this offseason, they made huge splashes with Keenan Allen, D’Andre Swift, Gerald Everett, Kevin Byard and Rome Odunze.
“I understand the impatience; that’s to be expected, to a certain extent,” McCaskey said. “[Williams] can’t do it by himself. We’ve all seen some very talented quarterbacks who didn’t have the help around them and who struggled as a result.”
Still, McCaskey feels the excitement. He has high expectations for the team this season, as does his mother, Virginia, he mentioned to the Sun-Times.
“I don’t think [the excitement] can be quantified,” McCaskey said. “You can feel it growing as the season approaches.”
Click here to follow the Under Center Podcast.
This embedded content is not available in your region.
