The Chicago Bears? new offensive staff could have a new quarterback to bring along next season. But after the Washington Commanders hired Kliff Kingsbury to be their offensive coordinator, some are convinced it won?t be presumed No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams.
Kingsbury, who interviewed for the Bears offensive coordinator vacancy, coached Williams last season at USA. Williams is also a D.C. native, with some rumors that he wants to play at home floating around.
?Let the speculation begin: Kliff Kingsbury coached Caleb Williams last season,? ESPN?s Adam Schefter said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on February 4. ?Williams was a standout QB at Gonzaga High School in Washington, D.C. The Commanders currently hold the No. 2 overall pick and are in striking distance of the No. 1 pick that belongs to Chicago.?
Washington Commanders Hire Sparks Bears Rumors
Rival Executives Believe Bears Will Draft Caleb Williams at No. 1
This is the time for subterfuge. Bears general manager Ryan Poles has generally kept his draft plans close to the vest. A similar situation played out last year with Bryce Young, and the Bears ultimately traded back.
Williams is a much better prospect than Young, meaning the Bears could be hard-pressed to pass on taking the No. 1 passer for the second year in a row. Justin Fields was the No. 11 overall pick and No. 2 quarterback for most of his amateur career.
?Teams are starting to line up the imaginary dominoes, trying to forecast how the top of the draft will shake out. Most people I talked to in Mobile expect the Chicago Bears to make the pick at No. 1, presumably for Williams,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote on February 3.
Williams helped fuel rumors with an otherwise innocuous post, congratulating Kingsbury on Instagram.
Caleb Williams congratulates Kliff Kingsbury on his new job with the Commanders.
Photo credit to Caleb Williams' Instagram story. pic.twitter.com/uoQefduQj4
— Nicholas Moreano (@NicholasMoreano) February 5, 2024
Chicago could also opt for North Carolina?s Drake Maye, the class? presumed No. 2 quarterback.
Some argue the 6-foot-5, 220-pound Maye is a better prospect than the 6-foot-1, 217-pound Williams. Last year?s quarterback class also showed that the hype doesn?t always match the prospect, with Houston Texans quarterback and No. 2 overall pick C.J. Stroud acclimating himself far better than No. 1 pick Bryce Young of the Carolina Panthers.
Their respective circumstances certainly played a part. But both players also had a hand in their success ? or lack thereof ? this past season. Stroud led his team to the playoffs while rival fan bases already view Young as a reclamation project.
Former Bears OC Lands in AFC
Kingsbury isn?t the only non-Bears hire to fuel speculation around Chicago?s plans for this offseason. Former Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy is joining the Las Vegas Raiders in the same capacity this season.
?Sources: The Raiders are working on a deal to hire ex-Bears OC Luke Getsy as their new offensive coordinator. The highly-respected Getsy was in the mix for a bunch of OC jobs in this cycle,? The Monday Morning Quarterback?s Albert Breer posted on February 3. ?Pretty wild day in Vegas.?
Getsy?s hiring comes in the wake of Kingsbury agreeing to and then backing out of the role.
The Bears fired Getsy along with most of his staff in January, hiring former Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Shane Waldron to replace him.