“Gonna miss him” “F*ck the nail paint” - USC fans have mixed reactions to Caleb Williams’ first look as Chicago Bears’ QB
And it came to happen, Caleb Williams is a Chicago Bear. The former USC quarterback joined the storied list of first-overall draft picks, as the NFL's Chicago Bears chose him to be the future of their franchise on Thursday night. This was something almost everyone expected to happen, as Williams was widely considered the top quarterback in a class full of talented gunslingers.
The world of football in general, including NFL and college football fans, was quick to react to the news. Some weren't sure about his demeanor, which is not that of a typical NFL player, but in general, there was a lot of excitement from Bears fans and sadness from Trojans fans to see him go.
“Gonna miss him,” a fan posted on Instagram.
“F*ck the nail paint,” another wrote.
Caleb Williams wants to bring back the Chicago Bears to the top
Being the first overall pick is never an easy burden to carry. It's a much heavier one if you've been the first overall pick for a franchise since 1947, and even more so if that franchise hasn't been successful in your entire lifetime.
Caleb Williams confronted these questions head-on in his first press conference as a Chicago Bear after the draft:
"When you only meet with somebody for 10 minutes and the history, like I haven’t known much about the Bears, the history since I’ve been alive hasn’t been necessarily where they are winning big games and Super Bowls and things like that... What they told me was that you know, they haven’t always put people in the right position, and that’s their fault, the plan is to change that around.
"As y’all have seen, the new stadium. As y’all have seen, the coaches that they have brought here, the executive staffs.Things like that. Bringing people like that from winning cultures and winning places that want to win, and as a holistic family of the Bears but also stadium, team, coaches, executive staff. Everybody wanting to win and change the culture."
The 2022 Heisman Trophy winner threw for 3633 yards with 30 touchdown passes and five interceptions in 2023. Despite throwing fewer yards and touchdown passes than in his Heisman season, Caleb Williams had a slightly higher completion percentage (68.6% vs. 66.6%) and rating (170.1 vs. 168.5).