Chicago Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams already has a target on his back from his NFL peers.
The No. 1 overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft has come up in the NIL era in college and has been a celebrity, winning the Heisman Trophy as a sophomore in 2022 after transferring from Oklahoma to USC. He also showcased his personality, which has rubbed some the wrong way.
Titans’ Jeffery Simmons Has 2-Word Message for Bears’ Caleb Williams
Jeffery Simmons Looking Forward to Facing Bears’ Caleb Williams
Week 1 opponent Jeffery Simmons, for example, says that he ?can?t wait? to make mention of Williams? tendency to paint his fingernails.
?Painted nails,? Simmons said on the ?Rich Eisen Show? on June 25. ?I can’t wait to say that to him.
?It’s going to be one of them games, especially, I mean he probably get smack-talked to his by his teammates right now. But it’s going to be ? especially a game like that? My first game [back from injury]. Of course, I missed the end of the season. It’s going to be the first game of the season. They got us coming to Chicago. All the hype going to be around them, of course.?
The Titans finished last season 6-11, one game worse than the Bears.
FanDuel Sportsbook lists the Bears as 4.5-point favorites as of June 26. Homefield advantage counts anywhere from 2.3 to 3.0 points, potentially making the game a lot closer than it seems at first blush.
?I think when, especially even prime time games, everybody ? count Tennessee out, which we all know,? Simmons said. ?A game like Chicago, I’m sure they thinking we about to get beat bad. So that also make me even talk more smack and boost me up a little more, make me get in a different mode as well. So I’ll be in a different mode that game.?
Jefferey Simmons: ?It?s a Different League?
Simmons was not all bark about Williams and their looming showdown. He did offer a potential reality check for anyone expecting a smooth transition for the highly-touted rookie.
?I get it,? Simmons said about the pre-game slant tilting towards the Bears. ?When you got a first-round pick like Caleb Williams himself, which is a great player. Watched him a couple games when he was at USC and he’s a hell of a player. But it’s a different league and I’m excited to play him the first game.?
Fox Sports ranks the Bears? 2024 schedule as the fourth-easiest slate in the NFL. None of that matters during the actual game. It does provide some context for the optimism for a team hoping some of its 2023 momentum continues.
Bears? Supporting Cast in Place
The Bears have been proactive in surrounding Williams with ample options, adding Keenan Allen, Rome Odunze, and Gerald Everett to DJ Moore and Cole Kmet.
The Bears are also three-deep (for now) at running back. D?Andre Swift and Khalil Herbert both had at least 130 carries last season. The team is also high on 2023 fourth-round pick Roschon Johnson and undrafted rookie free agent Ian Wheeler could surprise in training camp.
They could look to remove the burden from Williams early on.
