For the Chicago Bears, the NFL 2023 season came and went as usual. Once again, they weren’t able to capitalize on their moment, despite having an arguably good quarterback, Justin Fields. Just as the whole team was settling in with the young QB, who is now in Pittsburgh, the franchise decided to move on from him.

Fast forward to the 2024 season draft, they targeted the popular prospect Caleb Williams, capitalizing on the advantage of the first pick. But is Williams the only solution the Bears require for a playoff entry? A panel of NFL analysts on “Speak” recently dug into this, highlighting a curse that lingers with the Bears no matter what.

Despite having Patrick Mahomes’ caliber, can Caleb Williams succeed?

Emmanuel Acho, Joy Taylor, James Jones, and LeSean McCoy joined the “Speak” show on Tuesday, July 2, to discuss “the expectations on Caleb Williams and what to expect from him in his rookie season.” The panel acknowledged the pressure and hype that comes with being the first overall pick, especially in a city like Chicago, which has historically struggled with developing successful quarterbacks.

Former RB, McCoy, highlighted Williams’ talent, comparing him to Patrick Mahomes. He said that in the era of Mahomes, where every team wants one such QB for them, McCoy sees Williams “has a lot of Patrick Mahomes in him. The way he throws the ball, the way he commands the offense, right, all the special things he has with him. So….I think he’ll be successful in Chicago.” However, taking things off-beat, Acho raised a ‘curse’ about the Bears’ history of poor quarterback performance.

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He expressed, “I look at the organization. I’ll start with the Dallas Cowboys. Cowboys are always going to have a good running back….they always will at least check every two years they are going to have a good running back. The Steelers are always going to have a good defense….The Bears have never had a good quarterback….I don’t believe all these Bears quarterbacks have been historically [bad], but for whatever reason in Chicago they never perform if you look at an organization and they always have a certain something.”

Therefore, Acho is worried that this organizational pattern might impact Williams’ performance, despite his talent. Bringing in the Justin Fields’ comparison, Acho noted that Fields was “not bad,” as he was highly successful in college, boasting 41 touchdowns and three interceptions. Despite this, he struggled in Chicago.

Similarly, Williams recorded 72 TDs and only 10 INTs throughout his USC career. As he is coming into the league as a rookie, Acho is worried that the Bears might also not appreciate Williams’ performance to the extent that is required. In conclusion, he emphasized the importance of the Bears supporting Williams effectively to avoid repeating past mistakes.

Caleb Williams— the final stop to the Bears’ unending QB search?

With the first overall No.1 pick in 77 years, the Bears drafted USC QB Caleb Williams. This selection marks a hopeful turning point for the franchise, which has long struggled to find a reliable quarterback. Historically, the Bears have faced challenges, such as picking QB Bobby Layne in 1948, who found success only after leaving the team. Even players such as Mitch Trubisky (2017), Rex Grossman (2003), Cade McCown (1999), and Jim Harbaugh (1987), did not solve the team’s quarterback woes.

This search for a true franchise quarterback dates back to the late 1940s when HOF Sid Luckman’s career was ending, and the team missed out on Layne. Now, Williams is set to take over from Justin Fields and aims to break the franchise’s cycle of underwhelming quarterback performances. Interestingly, the Bears have never seen a quarterback throwing for “4,000 yards in a season or throwing for 30 touchdowns.”

However, Williams in his USC career, “threw for 4,537 yards and 42 touchdowns in his 2022 Heisman Trophy-winning season.” And this has brought high expectations to a franchise in desperate need of a true franchise QB.