Does the Chicago Bears’ Interest in Kliff Kingsbury Signal Caleb Williams as No. 1 NFL Draft Pick?

There will continue to be a wealth of speculation surrounding the Chicago Bears and the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. There’s an abundance of storylines and scenarios that could play out.

However, the discussion has taken a turn with the announcement that the Bears are interviewing Kliff Kingsbury for their open offensive coordinator job.

Caleb Williams-Kliff Kingsbury Connection

The Bears fired their OC Luke Getsy at the end of the NFL regular season, along with five other coaches, to head in a different direction. One of the candidates to be interviewed is Kingsbury, an interesting decision, given his links to a certain top QB in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Kingsbury spent the 2023 season as a senior offensive analyst with the Trojans, where Williams was QB. Kingsbury was fired as HC of the Arizona Cardinals in January 2023 after he finished with an overall record of 28-37.

Kingsbury joined the staff in the offseason, having already had a connection to Trojans HC Lincoln Riley. Riley and Kingsbury played together at Texas Tech, when Riley was a walk-on backup to Kingsbury.

Before becoming an NFL HC, Kingsbury was the HC at Texas Tech, where he coached NFL superstar Patrick Mahomes. How he developed Mahomes in college was one of the reasons he got an NFL gig, and his ability to work with QBs will certainly be on the Bears’ mind.

Speaking to Albert Breer, Kingsbury said that Williams compares to Mahomes, “There’s eerily uncanny similarities — it’s cool to watch.” Kingsbury isn’t the first and won’t be the last to make the Mahomes-Williams comparison, which has become the go-to for draft analysts. But his relationship with both QBs makes this one more interesting.

Williams has also spoken about how good it was having Kingsbury around during the 2023 season. “He’s a great coach to have in the QB room because he’s seen it done on the highest level,” Williams said.

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“Just a good relationship coach, and he gives you the real, and we’ll talk and have good conversations, whether it’s now or down the line a couple of years from now, the way things work out. He’s been great. It’s awesome to have him.”

Williams and Kingsbury having an existing relationship certainly adds intrigue to the Bears’ decision to interview him for the open OC spot. If they are leaning toward drafting Williams and trading Justin Fields, talking to Kingsbury at least makes sense.

Why Are the Bears Interested in Kingsbury?

Williams was already the favorite with bookmakers to be drafted No.1 overall, but his odds fell dramatically on Jan. 18 after ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Kingsbury “Is expected to interview for the Chicago Bears’ offensive coordinator job, per sources.”

The interest in Kingsbury certainly signals a sway toward Williams, but it doesn’t mean that the tide has completely moved in that direction.

Even if they don’t hire Kingsbury, it is still the correct process to interview him and do their due diligence. As Dane Brugler from The Athletic put it, “Regardless of the Bears’ level of interest in Kingsbury, it’s a smart move to interview him as they continue to scout and learn everything possible about Caleb Williams.”

Brugler also said, “Scouting is a non-stop fact-finding mission,” meaning the Bears should be doing everything in their power to make sure no stone is left unturned.

Speaking to the media GM Ryan Poles said that the Bears’ staff is in “information gathering mode” right now. Given Kingsbury’s knowledge of Williams, he is a great place to look.

Kingsbury’s intimate knowledge of Williams could be invaluable to the Bears. The story of the offseason will be what the Bears do with the No. 1 overall pick, and more specifically, do they draft Williams or stick it out with current QB Justin Fields?

By going with Kingsbury and Williams, Chicago would be resetting the QB clock while also taking one of the top QB prospects we have seen recently.

However, there is no certainty when it comes to draft prospects, and for however good Williams is, if he isn’t put into the right franchise and right scenario, then he could fail.

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While this could be true, there are alternatives. While Kingsbury and Williams have a connection, the Bears could genuinely have an interest in Kingsbury even without his relationship.

Kingsbury had developed a reputation as being an offensive genius, and while his time as HC of the Cardinals didn’t go as planned, we did see glimpses of what Kingsbury wanted his offense to do.

With Kyler Murray as his QB, Kingsbury showed he knows how to utilize running QBs. It could be that the Bears think that Kingsbury could take Fields to the next level if they choose to stick with him.

What Could the Bears Do With the No. 1 Pick?

This all comes down to the question that is on everyone’s lips — what do the Bears do with the No. 1 pick?

When speaking after Week 18 of the NFL season, Bears GM Ryan Poles said to the media that “[he’s] got to stay open-minded about it.” He can’t narrow himself down to a single option, as that will blind him to other possibilities.

He told the media that he would need to be blown away if he was to move on. “I did think Justin got better. I think he can lead this team. But at the same time, there is a unique situation,” Poles said.

Poles is acutely aware of the possibilities that are before him. He admits he has run through “a million different scenarios” all year. “I’ll just stay very wide open with the different paths that we go,” Poles said. “As we collect information, if that closes some of those pathways down, then we’ll do that and move to some of the other ones, but I’m going to be wide open about this.”

This is a huge decision, not only for Poles but for the Bears organization. The decision will likely be career-defining for the GM. Meanwhile, for the Bears, it would be a big decision to move on from Fields, who, while not setting the league on fire, has shown that he is good enough.

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