No rookie in the NFL came into Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season with more pressure or more eyes on him than quarterback Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears.
Along with being the star of HBO’s Hard Knocks recently, which only put more exposure and pressure on the rookie quarterback, Williams has been dubbed the next great quarterback in the league, as some believe he has a chance to be a superstar right away in the Windy City.
Williams thrilled USC fans during his time with the University of Southern California, so much so that the iconic school recently retired his No. 13 jersey, which is a statement considering how many football stars have come out of that school in Los Angeles.
In Week 1, the Bears faced the Tennessee Titans, another team in the league that has undergone drastic changes.
However, the Bears, which had been arguably one of the most hyped teams in the league coming into the season, were the favorite, but they definitely didn’t play like it offensively, as Williams struggled throughout the entire game.
If it weren’t for the Chicago defense and their special teams, the Bears would’ve lost in a big way on Sunday, as they couldn’t get anything going offensively, with Williams connecting on 14 of 29 passes for only 93 yards, but he still did something that a No. 1 overall pick at the quarterback position hasn’t done since 2002, according to Bleacher Report.
CALEB WILLIAMS BECOMES FIRST #1 OVERALL QB TO WIN IN DEBUT SINCE 2002 🔥
NEW ERA IN CHICAGO 🐻 pic.com/QDfqwwz9EV
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 8, 2024
Here are some fan reactions to Williams’ performance during his debut with the Bears on Sunday:
Congrats on the dub! Caleb will improve.
— Creative Monster (@CreatveMonster) September 8, 2024
HE THREW FOR 92 YARDS AND 0 TOUCHDOWNS WHY IS THIS A POST 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
— 🚀 DC Rising 🚀 (@DC__Rising) September 8, 2024
I could’ve won that game
— Lebronin1 (@Lebronin1) September 8, 2024
He can thank his defense and special teams for that
— Bandwagon Sports (@BandwagonSp0rts) September 8, 2024
If it weren’t for the team stepping up in other ways, Williams would have had a rough week ahead of him on social media, as fans were bound to dig and take shots at the rookie relentlessly.
However, he was able to dodge that bullet, at least somewhat, and will hope to turn things around in Week 2 when the Bears face a tough challenge of going on the road to face CJ Stroud and the Houston Texans.
