Caleb Williams is a new generation quarterback who is not afraid to show his emotions.
The former USC Trojans star is expected to be the No. 1 pick in this year’s NFL Draft and the face of the Chicago Bears franchise for the next decade-plus.
But the enigmatic star with ridiculous throwing talent has divided some mainstream football fans over being “different”.
Williams embraces his identity and is unapologetically proud of who he is — even if that means crying with his mother after a loss, painting his nails, and waving a pink iPhone case at the recent NCAA women’s basketball tournament .
Many fans praised his honesty and authenticity, but others wondered how well he would hold up to the pressure of the major leagues.
Fortunately for Williams, he is beloved by his teammates and exhibits none of the bad body language that has plagued previous NFL quarterbacks.
“The cool thing is his teammates love him,” NFL Draft expert Matt Miller exclusively told talkSPORT.
“He’s that modern quarterback who’s not afraid to [show emotion]. It’s not like he’s slamming his headset on the key in frustration. He is emotional.
“Since I’ve been doing this, the big question you ask is: ‘Does this player like football?’ And now you have a young man who realizes his college football career is over and he’s crying on the sidelines.
“I would take it 10 times out of 10 to a guy bumping into his coach on the sideline or slamming his helmet. We’ve seen bad body language from quarterbacks sometimes, and we’ve seen how it affects a team. .
“With Caleb, you don’t have to worry about all that [bad boy language].
The 6-foot-1, 214-pound Williams first made a name for himself at the University of Oklahoma before following in the footsteps of former Sooners coach Lincoln Riley to become a Trojan.
A Heisman-winning season came soon after when Williams completed 66.6 percent of his passes for 4,537 yards, 42 touchdowns and just five interceptions in 2022.
2023 saw some statistical decline as he only threw 30 touchdowns and missed a career-high eight times – something experts say he needs to fix.
But Williams also set career highs in completion percentage (68.6), yards per attempt (9.4) and passer rating (170.1), despite a disappointing regular season for USC (7-5).
The 22-year-old has drawn comparisons to Patrick Mahomes for his big-play potential and is clearly the best player in a 2024 class filled with top-tier quarterback talent.
Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye and JJ McCarthy could have been this year’s No. 1 pick in a world where Williams never picked up a football.
Luckily for the Bears, he did.
And, after securing the top pick in this year’s draft, the organization has taken significant steps to accommodate Williams’ impending arrival once this month’s draft is done and dusted.
The franchise traded former starting quarterback Justin Fields to the Steelers and made tons of other big moves in what could potentially be a franchise-altering offseason.
Two-time All-Pro safety Kevin Byard and veteran safety Jonathan Owens will bolster Chicago’s secondary.
Elsewhere, the addition of six-time Pro Bowl receiver Keenan Allen, former Eagles running back D’Andre Swift and former Chargers TE Gerald Everett will provide Williams with plenty of offensive firepower to utilize the next season.
“Chicago has done a great job of building a framework around itself, which is extremely important,” Miller said.
“I would say there’s a 90 percent chance he’ll be a Pro Bowl quarterback and lead Chicago to a sustained run of contenders.”
Williams certainly has the physical ability, and the pieces around him, to make a splash during his NFL rookie campaign later this year.
“I go out there every day, with blood, sweat and tears,” Williams said on Instagram. “I give it my all on every play, every chance I get. I’ve been an advocate for mental health, show your emotions and express yourself.”
The outside world may question Williams’ disposition, but the noises coming from inside the NFL are overwhelmingly positive.
“I just talked to an NFL general manager about Caleb and he said, ‘Love him,'” Miller added.