Could Caleb Williams make the Bears a playoff team? | Zero Blitz
Yahoo Sports’ Jason Fitz and Frank Schwab explain why things might be different this time around as Chicago prepares to draft its second first-round quarterback in four years. Hear the full conversation on the “Zero Blitz” podcast - and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen.
Video Transcript
JASON FITZ: Caleb Williams is going into a much better situation than Justin Fields had last year, so the tone has definitely changed.
FRANK SCHWAB: I think the Bears-- I'm probably going to be picking them to make the playoffs this year. So you go from me thinking last August that they were the 30th-best team in the NFL to one of the top 14 this year. And I think it just keeps growing and growing for them. I like what they've done around the quarterback position. And like you said, we had no idea-- maybe we should have-- that the Panthers were going to be so bad that the Bears are going to be picking first overall and get Caleb Williams and kind of reset the franchise that way.
A lot of questions about Justin Fields, who just-- I mean, as much as I like Justin Fields-- I really do. I feel like I'm on an island almost anymore. Justin Fields was traded just for a sixth-round pick. That's the kind of quarterback they had. I know there's a lot of nuances there. But go with me here. If Justin Fields was the superstar we thought, he wouldn't have gone for a sixth-round pick.
You get to reset with Caleb Williams, who is this uber prospect everybody likes. Everybody's obvious number one in this draft. Not Nate Tice. He's got Drake Maye number one, and I respect that. But most people think that Caleb is this MVP type of ceiling at quarterback for the Bears. Completely changes their outlook. I don't think down the road. I think this year.
I think that if that's an upgrade at quarterback-- they added Keenan Allen. They've added guys like Kevin Byard, a really good veteran who I like. They just keep upgrading. They have the ninth pick of the draft. They're going to draft another impact guy or trade down and get a bunch of picks. Bears are in much better shape than they were a year ago. Had a good season after a rough start.
Yeah, the Bears are kind of the Texans light of you could turn this thing around in a year. Let's not forget, the Panthers did pick first in 2023, but that was the Bears' pick. They just traded it. The Bears have gone from owning the first pick of the draft to I think they're going to make the playoffs in 12 months' time.