When the Washington Commanders drafted quarterback Jayden Daniels with the second overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, one pick after the Chicago Bears selected quarterback Caleb Williams, the two became tied to each other forever.
That's the way things usually work when two players at the same position are selected near each other in the same draft. Look at the constant career-long comparisons between Eli Manning and Philip Rivers, or Alex Smith and Aaron Rodgers.
Williams and Daniels are on that same path now, whether they like it or not, for the next 15-20 years.
The comparisons were heavily discussed after their rookie seasons when Daniels led his team to the NFC Championship Game, won the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award, and received Pro Bowl recognition all while Williams struggled to even stand up straight in the pocket while being coached by an incompetent staff.
The two top draft picks from the 2024 class were pit against each other once again in a recent NFC North hot takes debate. A to Z Sports' Destin Adams' hot take for the Bears was that Williams will finish with more passing yards and touchdowns than Daniels in Year 2, a take A to Z Sports' Kyle Crabbs was out on believing.
"Ben Johnson needs to tame the wild parts of Caleb's game, which got the better of him at times in college, too. That unpredictable nature may emerge, based on Chicago's investments, by leaning more on the ground game. I think they take the air out of the ball some, which will lead to a more efficient Caleb, but not necessarily a high volume passing attack. Meanwhile, Daniels got pass protectors like Laremy Tunsil and Josh Conerly added to the line, and investments in the skill group included trading for Deebo Samuel and drafting Jaylin Lane. Washington wasn't a great run offense last year, and they leaned heavily on Daniels in that regard — I think they'll continue to be more emboldened to put the ball into Daniels' hands even more in 2025." - A to z Sports' Kyle Crabbs
I get why people are still hesitant to trust Williams turning things around so quickly after the performance we saw during the 2024 season. But, the situation matters. And the fact is, Williams played in one of the worst rookie situations in NFL history and has since received some significant organizational overhaul.
Caleb Williams had a much more improved offseason than Jayden Daniels
It's not fair to point out the additions talent-wise Daniels received this offseason from the Commanders' front office and not highlight what the Bears have done to support their young franchise quarterback.
Over the last few months alone, the Bears have added two Pro Bowl caliber guards, a first-round tight end, a second-round wide receiver, a second-round offensive tackle, and two veteran role players at wide receiver as well. Not to mention a really strong coaching staff, miles better than what the team had leading them in 2024.
At this point, the Bears have done literally everything in their power to set Williams up for success in 2025, and honestly more support than any other quarterback in the entire league obtained. Now the ball is in Williams' court to show improvement if he wants to outperform his 2024 draft rival and the other top quarterbacks in the NFL.
