Getty DJ Moore of the Chicago Bears.
Bring some “Ws” to Chicago. That’s what Bears wide receiver DJ Moore wants to see from rookie quarterback Caleb Williams.
The No. 1 overall pick of the 2024 draft, Williams is set to make his regular season debut against the Tennessee Titans on September 8. Moore was asked what he was most curious to see from the rookie QB when the Titans come to town. The receiver’s response was straightforward.
“I just want him to go out there and play football for real,” Moore said when speaking to the media on September 2. “He’s a winner, so lead us to a win. Like everybody’s been saying, he’s got a bunch of weapons out there. Just go out there and point guard the ball like it’s basketball and he’ll be all right. I’m not too worried about him.”
The Bears went 7-10 last season, finishing at the bottom of the NFC North. Heading into the 2024 regular season, Seth Walder of ESPN shared the results of his recent NFL simulation. It has Williams leading Chicago to the playoffs and winning a postseason game.
Can Caleb Williams Lead Bears to Playoffs in 2024?
“He’s like a Jedi.”
Caleb Williams former High School Head Coach says he can lead the Bears to the playoffs this year! 👀
Randy Trivers, who coached Williams during the QB’s high school years at Gonzaga College High School, told CHGO Sports in May he thinks the playoffs are a real possibility for Chicago this year.
“The Bears certainly have the pieces to not only make it to the playoffs, but to win,” Trivers said, adding: “I would never underestimate Caleb Williams.”
If the Bears can manage to walk away from their first 9 games of the 2024 season with 6 or 7 wins, a playoff berth is a very realistic option. A glance at their schedule shows just how important winning early will likely be.
Out of the first nine teams the Bears play this season, just two made the playoffs last year (Houston Texans, Los Angeles Rams).
Chicago’s final eight games get far more difficult. Six of them are divisional matchups (the Bears play the Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings twice) and five of their final eight games are against playoff teams (the Packers, Lions and the San Francisco 49ers).
It won’t be easy, but it’s clear the team is behind Williams. That belief can go a long way.
DJ Moore Says Caleb Williams Earned Recent Team Captain Honors
Williams was recently voted one of eight team captains by his teammates. He was the lone rookie to receive that honor.
In addition to Williams, Moore, linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards, cornerback Jaylon Johnson, safety Kevin Byard, and tight ends Cole Kmet and Marcedes Lewis are the team’s other captains. Moore says the rookie signal-caller earned the “C” patch.
“When you come to work every day like he did and go through the things he had to grow through — especially against this defense — and you see the work he was putting in day-in and day-out, you can’t do anything but respect that and want him to be a captain for you,” Moore said about Williams.
“He (Williams) just continues to come in here and be who we want him to be,” All-Pro cornerback Johnson added. “I feel like we know why we brought him in here and I feel like he continues to do that, continues to walk in those shoes and just continues to reset the bar for himself.”
The Bears will get tested out of the gate against the Titans, who won’t be a pushover. How Williams responds will be interesting to see.
