A New Era in Chicago: Why the Bears' Offense is Set Up for Success.
When Ryan Poles was introduced as the new general manager of the Chicago Bears in 2022, he told the attending media that he planned to ‘take the North and never give it back’. That statement seemed almost laughable at the time but Poles has spent the last two seasons tearing down the Bears’ roster and rebuilding it from the ground up. That work has culminated in the 2024 draft that saw Chicago select QB Caleb Williams and WR Rome Odunze with the first and ninth picks respectively and has left Chicago buzzing with excitement and anticipation for a new era of Bears football.
That era started when, to no-one’s surprise, the Bears used the first overall pick to select Heisman winning quarterback Williams out of USC, the first time they had used a number one pick on a QB in 77 years. Many naysayers said Williams didn’t want to play for the Bears and criticised his flamboyant personality and his displays of emotion on the sideline, saying he won’t last in Chicago’s tough media market. The complete opposite seemed to be the case as he strode across the stage in Detroit, letting out an enthusiastic ‘whoop’ before mingling with fans for selfies. In every interaction with the media so far, Williams has displayed composure, humility and, most importantly, a real enthusiasm to be a Chicago Bear.
Williams has the superhuman skillset and persona to become a superstar, but Chicago is known as the place where quarterbacks go to die. Trubisky and Fields both flamed out in The Windy City but they were arguably never provided with the infrastructure to succeed. This time is different. This time the rookie QB, who recorded 93 passing touchdowns and just 14 interceptions over three years with USC, is walking into what is possibly the best setup ever for a quarterback selected first overall. Ryan Poles is determined to move away from the historic perception of the Bears being all defense and no offense and move towards an offensive-minded future: “The history’s the history. Like I’m kind of done talking about it. You go back so much all the time and those days are over.”
Many Bears fans had visions a perfect first round of the draft being Williams drafted alongside a top receiver, and that is exactly what happened. Bears fans held found themselves holding their collective breath as Marvin Harrison Jr. and Malik Nabers were picked up by the Arizona Cardinals and New York Giants. But one more of the top receivers remained. Rome Odunze, the receiver from Washington (conference rival to Williams’ USC Trojans) whom had developed a rapport with the Bears’ new QB following a throwing session with Williams, DJ Moore and Keenan Allen in Los Angeles and a shared flight to Detroit. As the Tennessee Titans opted for J.C. Latham and the Atlanta Falcons shockingly selected Michael Penix Jr, the realisation dawned that Odunze was still on the board. Poles made the call and Odunze became a Chicago Bear.
Odunze joins a receiver room that could legitimately be considered the strongest trio in the league. DJ Moore is coming off a career best season in 2023, recording 1,364 yards and eight touchdowns. Moore offers reliability and a ridiculous ability to acquire yards after the catch. But that wasn’t enough and Poles acquired the talents of one the league’s best route-runners in future hall of famer Keenan Allen, who was traded to Chicago for a fourth rounder after refusing to take a pay cut from the Los Angeles Chargers. Despite his season being cut short due to injury, Allen still managed to reach 1,243 yards in only thirteen games, the second highest total of his career. Add Odunze, who’s 1,640 yards led all of college football last year, to the mix and you’ve got the makings of a truly fearsome aerial attack.
Williams, who’s top receivers at USC Brendan Rice and Tahj Washington didn’t find themselves picked until the final round of the draft, must be licking his lips at the prospect of a receiving corp that he can trust to come down with the ball. Odunze recorded 24 contested catches in 2023, tied most in the FBS, and 21 catches on throws with more than twenty-plus air yards. Moore was ranked third in the NFL in the same category. Whilst Williams might be encouraged to look for the easy completions, he’ll have to battle with the temptation to revert to college ‘hero ball’ tendencies and sling it deep.
Some detractors may decry that Williams isn’t a pocket passer, doesn’t play within structure and won’t be able to scramble around for twenty seconds in the NFL. The film says otherwise. Williams does make plays from the pocket and he makes plays when the pocket breaks down, demonstrating an almost supernatural ability to connect with his receiver from any platform and any angle.
Williams might be more inclined to stay in the pocket behind a continually improving offensive line. Center was a big issue last season so Poles added centers Ryan Bates and Coleman Shelton from the Bills and Rams respectively to replace a departed Cody Whitehair. Poles further bolstered the depth in the third round of the draft with local prospect, OT Kiran Amegadjie out of Yale. The Illinois native and long-term Bears fan adds much needed security behind Braxton Jones and has the potential to develop into a starter.
Even with Williams’ impressive skillset, it doesn’t mean that he won’t need time to adjust to the pro game and the Bears have hired just the man to help him adapt. During the offseason Chicago jettisoned former OC Luke Getsy, bemoaned for his overreliance on screens, and hired former Seahawks OC Shane Waldron, who helped turn around Geno Smith’s career in Seattle. Waldron will be more than happy to guide the rookie to reaching his full potential. And if Williams does struggle early on, at least he can rely on Tory Taylor, the record-breaking 46.3-yard career average, Aussie punter from Iowa who was surprisingly picked by the Bears at No. 122 to give the team excellent field position.
However good Caleb Williams and the Bears’ offense turn out to be, they’ll still have to overcome one of the toughest divisions in football with the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions firmly establishing themselves as title-contenders and the Minnesota Vikings retooling with solid draft to support their new hope at quarterback, JJ McCarthy. Until the new season unfolds and the prospects on paper are put to test on the turf, Bears fans can enjoy an offseason of unbridled optimism.