The NFL Draft is like a game of chess, not checkers. For the Chicago Bears, their 2025 offseason felt more like a desperate Hail Mary after years of fumbling the clock. At the center of this drama? Caleb Williams, the 2024 No. 1 pick, who weathered a rookie season so brutal. In fact, it’d make COD on “Veteran” difficulty look like a walk in Soldier Field. Sacked 68 times (second-most ever by a rookie), Williams’s baptism by fire included a carousel of coaches, a Swiss-cheese O-line, and film sessions so unstructured, he admitted, “No one tells me what to watch. I just turn it on.” Cue the collective facepalm from Chi-Town.

But this spring, the Bears’ front office finally blinked. With Williams’s development hanging in the balance, GM Ryan Poles made a last-ditch move during the draft. He offered pick 39 and a seventh-rounder to leapfrog the New England Patriots at No. 38. The target? TreVeyon Henderson, a human joystick from Ohio State with 4,614 career scrimmage yards and zero fumbles.

Instead, the Patriots stood pat, snagging Henderson and leaving Chicago to ‘settle’ for Luther Burden III of the Missouri Tigers—a 6’0”, 206-pound Swiss Army knife who racked up 2,749 all-purpose yards and 26 TDs in college.

Burden isn’t just a consolation prize; indeed, he’s a lightning bolt in cleats. Clocking a 4.41-second 40-yard dash, the Bears’ new WR3 brings YAC artistry reminiscent of a young Percy Harvin. Remarkably, at Mizzou, he turned screen passes into symphonies, like his 177-yard masterpiece vs. Memphis or the 78-yard punt return TD that broke Abilene Christian’s spirit. ‘Luther’s not a gadget guy,’ said one SEC coordinator. Indeed, he’s a cheat code. Paired with DJ Moore and rookie Rome Odunze, Burden gives Williams a trio of targets that could make even Aaron Rodgers mutter, “R-E-L-A-X” under his breath.

Caleb Williams: A symphony of speed and second chances

Yet, the Henderson near-miss lingers like a phantom limb. Imagine Caleb Williams handing off to a back who averaged 7.1 yards per carry in 2024, then flipping him a check-down. Instead, Chicago’s backfield remains a committee. D’Andre Swift’s shifty cuts, Roschon Johnson’s bruising style, and Travis Homer’s special-teams hustle.

It’s solid, but not quite Henderson’s ‘breakaway threat in a phone booth’ aura. Still, Poles doubled down on protecting his QB. That’s by trading for All-Pro guard Joe Thuney and signing center Drew Dalman—moves that scream, ‘We’ve seen The Blind Side; we get it.’

The Bears’ culture rehab feels straight out of a redemption arc. New head coach Ben Johnson, fresh off scripting the Lions’ offensive renaissance, brings a rep for maximizing talent. “(Caleb) He’s got such great God-given ability that we’re trying to tap into. You see it every day right now. It’s going to be more fun when we get the competitive nature of offense vs. defense in OTAs.”Johnson said, channeling his inner Tony Dungy.

“The protection up front can get better. The route runners [can] get to their spots faster. We can move the pocket a little bit more. There are a lot of things that we have at our disposal that can help with that process.” Translation ‘We’re building around his strengths, not forcing him into a box’: fewer seven-step drops, more RPOs, and maybe a trick play where Burden throws a TD—because why not?

Poetic? Maybe. Pragmatic? Absolutely. Chicago’s 5–12 record in 2024 wasn’t just a bad season; it was a wake-up call. Caleb Williams’s 3,541 passing yards and 20 TDs flashed promise, but his league-worst 46.7 QBR exposed systemic flaws. Now, with Burden’s versatility and Johnson’s playbook genius, the Bears aren’t just rebuilding—they’re rewiring. As ‘Friday Night Lights’ Coach Taylor might say, “Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose.” Except this time, Chicago’s eyes are crystal clear, their hearts all-in. The rest? That’s why they play the game.