Will Caleb Williams be answer to Bears' unending search for true franchise QB?

The Chicago Bears hold the longest NFL tenure of any franchise.

The club’s quest for a genuine Bears franchise quarterback, while not as extensive as its history, has been a long and unsuccessful effort.

For the first time in the Common Draft Era (since 1967), the Bears selected a player with the No. 1 overall pick, choosing USC quarterback Caleb Williams. Williams has already made history with his selection alone, but the Bears are hoping he’s the answer for their seemingly endless search for an authentic franchise QB.

NFL Research has provided a closer look that reveals the significance of Williams’ selection and the challenging history he is attempting to help the franchise overcome.

On April 25, Williams was drafted by the Bears, becoming the first No. 1 overall pick for the franchise since they selected running back Bob Fenimore 77 years ago in 1947.

The club is looking forward to improved luck several decades later, considering “Blonde Bomber” Fenimore only played for one season. The Bears’ history provides ample evidence of their misfortune with the quarterback position. In 1948, a year later, the Bears secured the rights to another player known as the “Blonde Bomber” with the third overall pick, QB Bobby Layne. Layne only stayed with the Bears for a year before finally settling into a Hall of Fame career with the Bears’ fierce rival, the Detroit Lions.

Bears QBs in Super Bowl Era

Williams is taking the reins over from Justin Fields, with the two being the sixth and fifth quarterbacks, respectively, on whom the Bears have used a first-round pick in the Common Draft Era.

Fields (2021 first-round pick) wasn’t the remedy to the Bears’ ageless quarterback ills, just as Mitch Trubisky (2017), Rex Grossman (2003), Cade McCown (1999) nor Jim Harbaugh (1987) was. Jim McMahon was the first of the six when the Bears took him in 1982 out of BYU. McMahon, with his brash attitude and hardnosed play, helped the 1985 Bears win the organization’s only Super Bowl, but injuries plagued his career and when all was said and done, he made just 61 starts in seven seasons for Chicago.

Bears No. 1 overall draft picks

The quest for a genuine navy blue franchise quarterback actually dates back to the late 1940s. This was around the time when Hall of Famer Sid Luckman was nearing the end of his remarkable career. It was also when the franchise missed the mark with Layne, who was traded after a year of being a third-stringer.

The search for the next Sid has continued since then.

Williams appears to be the next promising, seemingly fail-proof quarterback prospect heading to a franchise that has historically been a losing situation for quarterbacks.

The Bears hold the unique distinction of being the only NFL franchise that has never had a quarterback achieve either 4,000 yards or 30 touchdowns in a season, according to NFL Research. The highest records in these categories for the team were set by Erik Kramer in 1995, with 3,838 yards and 29 touchdowns, which remain the best single-season performances in Chicago’s history.

Williams threw for 4,537 yards and 42 touchdowns in his 2022 Heisman Trophy-winning season with USC.

Williams was also the first FBS player with 30-plus TD passes and 10-plus rushing TDs in consecutive seasons since Texas Tech’s Patrick Mahomes (2015-16). Of course, Mahomes has won three Super Bowls with the Kansas City Chiefs, who took him in the 2017 first round long after the Bears took Trubisky — though, in fairness, Mahomes wasn’t projected by many to go even as high as he did at No. 10 overall.

Williams appears, theoretically, to be set up to succeed, unlike many of the Bears’ previous first-rounders.

Per NFL Research, he’s the only first-round QB to join a team with multiple players who had 1,000 yards receiving in the season prior (Keenan Allen and DJ Moore) and also drafted a first-round wide receiver in the same class (Rome Odunze). The addition of running back D’Andre Swift and the emergence of tight end Cole Kmet should also solidify Williams’ skill position options.

Nonetheless, the statistics and historical records present formidable challenges to overcome.

According to NFL Research, during the Super Bowl era, Bears quarterbacks have performed the worst in terms of completion percentage (56.4), passing yards per attempt (6.5), yards per game (175), TD-INT ratio (0.9), and passer rating (71.4).

Williams, as a rookie, has the potential to be the first Bear to throw for 4,000 yards and/or 30 TDs.

He has the ability to support his promise with tangible results. Nonetheless, proving that he is the solution to the Bears’ ongoing quest for the next Sid will require more than just one autumn in the Windy City. This mission commences in September.