Go-To Caleb Williams Target Explains How He’s Quickly Earned QB1’s Trust

It’s funny how things work out sometimes. The Chicago Bears have spent so much time and so many resources on building the best supporting cast possible for second-year quarterback Caleb Williams. Via draft picks and trades, the Bears have surrounded Williams with potential pro bowl pass-catchers and offensive linemen, but it’s journeyman wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus who has shined just as bright during training camp.

When Zaccheaus signed with the Bears on a one-year, $1.5 million contract back in March, it hardly registered as a blip on the radar. The Bears will be Zaccheaus’ fourth team in seven NFL seasons, and he’s only topped 500 yards receiving in two of his pro seasons. So how exactly has Zaccheaus emerged as one of Caleb Williams’ most trusted targets this summer?

“Biggest thing is just reps, getting more reps,” Zaccheaus explained during an August 13 press conference. “And then just having the talks about how he’s seeing things and how I kinda see things as well. And then obviously, fitting it into what Ben (Johnson) wants as an offense too. But the reps is the most important thing.”

This makes perfect sense, but Zaccheaus didn’t arrive in Chicago with much fanfare, nor did he have a prior connection with Caleb Williams, which puts him behind the eight-ball in regards to other players within the Bears wide receiver room. In order to get those reps, Zaccheaus needed to quickly earn coach Ben Johnson’s trust. But doing that didn’t seem to be much of a challenge for the 28-year-old veteran.

“First and foremost, it comes down to routine,” Zaccheaus said. “And then just, the experience that I have. I’ve played a lot of ball, so there’s not many situations that I haven’t seen or seen on film or been through myself. Then making it fit what Ben wants to see in the offense. Obviously you know how detailed he is. So it’s just being on the same routine and then just being locked in with what I have to do.”

Bears Wide Receiver Coach Outlines Olamide Zaccheaus’ Role

The professional playing career of Bears wide receiver coach and passing game coordinator Antwaan Randle El was not all that dissimilar to Olamide Zaccheaus’. Randle El played nine NFL seasons and averaged 496 yards receiving per year. He was a steady and reliable presence in the league for nearly a decade, but never a go-to-guy within an offense.

It’s possible that Randle El’s playing experience allowed him to more easily imagine a role for someone like Olamide Zaccheaus within the Bears offense. Hearing him talk about ‘OZ’, it’s clear there’s an appreciation for what he’s done throughout his career, and what he could bring to the Chicago Bears.

“OZ is the F-receiver in this offense. It’s a big deal, because you’re asked to do a lot as it relates to blocking and as it relates to running certain routes,” Randle-El said, per Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic. “That’s why you see it showing up with him a lot, because he has understood it. He’s getting in the spot where he needs to be all the time and he’s able to make the plays. I believe he’ll continue to do that as well.”

While nobody will mistake Zaccheaus as a more dynamic or talented player than DJ Moore or Rome Odunze, calling him more reliable may not necessarily end up being a misnomer. It’s also not an accident that the Bears coaching staff is leaning on someone like Zaccheaus, when objective number one in the development of Caleb Williams is making the 23-year-old quarterback feel more comfortable than he did last year.

In Zaccheaus, Williams may be finding himself a much-needed security blanket. Someone he can trust to find when his first and second reads aren’t there. And if that’s what the Bears get out of Olamide Zaccheaus for just $1.5 million this season, it will be money well spent.