We should have seen this coming with the Chicago Bears. They always find a way to mishandle what could be a franchise quarterback. They couldn’t figure out how to build around Justin Fields.
And now they seem to be wasting Caleb Williams’ potential too. A 4-2 start made it look like a new era in Chicago was upon us. Matt Eberflus managed to quiet people calling for his firing, and the weapons around Williams helped the offense look much better than it had. The Bears were seriously in contention for the division.
That seems like forever ago now. And it seems that Williams is headed down the same path Fields did during his time in Chicago. So with Chicago reeling this season, let’s take a look at what teams would have done a much better job with Williams in his first season.
4 teams not named the Bears who could've turned Caleb Williams into a franchise QB
4) Carolina Panthers
This one is obvious just from the standpoint that the Bears used their pick to get Williams. The Panthers, at least at one point, were frustrated with second-year quarterback Bryce Young. After getting just two wins last year, it’s not irrational for them to have looked at Williams as their savior over Young.
They could have made a draft day trade to offload Young and get more draft capital to build around Williams and certainly helped turn things around in Carolina. That said, Carolina has bigger issues than their quarterback play.
Because Williams is very talented, he would have had a longer leash than what they gave Young and they would have probably felt more urgency to build around him year one. I don’t know if he’d have any more success by any means but, maybe they decide to make some offseason moves, knowing they were holding the No. 1 pick.
Carolina will probably regret trading that pick to Chicago because all signs are pointing to Young being closer out the door than not. That said, there’s no guarantee that Williams was going to make an instant impact because the Panthers have a lot of work to do to be competitive again.
3) Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans might have been one of the best fits for Williams. He would have had a premier receiver in DeAndre Hopkins and a solid running back in Tony Pollard. With those weapons, Williams’ talent would have certainly elevated the Titans.
The Titans don’t have nearly as many holes as the Bears or Panthers. Their biggest problem right now is their quarterback situation. Mason Rudolph is more of a transition quarterback than franchise-changer. Will Levis isn’t nearly as good as they were expecting him to be.
Williams in that offense would have the Titans competing for a top spot in the division against Houston and Indianapolis.
2) Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders are another one of those teams that feel like they’re a quarterback away from being where they want to be. They weren’t able to get a deal for Justin Fields and didn’t have a high enough pick to get their franchise guy.
That said, if they would have selected Williams, he and Davante Adams would have been a recipe for an explosive offense. The one thing that helps young quarterbacks is having a go-to wide receiver.
We saw what Joe Burrow was able to do once he got Ja’Marr Chase and what Jayden Daniels has done this season with Terry McLaurin. Williams would have had no issues getting the Raiders’ offense going. I don’t want to get too ahead of myself, but he very much could have put the Raiders in position to contend for a playoff spot.
1) New England Patriots
While Drake Maye hasn’t looked bad in his first few games in New England, Williams would be a franchise QB in New England. it’s not hard to see how Williams could excel there. A new coach and a new era with the Patriots could have been the perfect combination for a player like Williams to succeed.
Now they would have needed to get him some help – particularly another wide receiver. But overall, he would have been in a much better situation there than with Chicago. Jerod Mayo hasn’t necessarily had the best start to his tenure in New England though.
I don’t think there would have been an issue, per se, between Mayo and Williams. But a franchise like New England would have the patience and willingness to build around him. They gave Mac Jones time to before they decided they’d seen enough. Williams would have had little pressure to be superior year one with New England.
They also would give him a chance to grow, which is something Chicago won’t do because of all the other drama going on within the organization.
