And so it was written.
Well, more like ‘‘liked.’’ Which in this era and existence is actually worse.
After the Bears doubled their win total from last season with their Christmas Eve victory against the Cardinals last Sunday, Caleb Williams — ‘‘bet your last dollar’’ future No. 1 pick in the next NFL Draft, ‘‘bet your best friend’s last dollar’’ future of the Bears’ franchise — pushed the heart silhouette on Elon’s X, confirming either his pleasure or agreement with a tweet that read: ‘‘Only one option for @ChicagoBears in 2024 @NFL Draft. It’s not @CALEBcsw, we want @justinfields. The answer is @MarvHarrisonJr.’’ Didn’t matter who it came from (SPenny), didn’t matter the intent or target (could be ingenious trolling), it was written and later co-signed by the kid who uses the middle name ‘‘Superman’’ to let the world know exactly who he be. And when Superman ‘‘likes,’’ people listen. And react. And wonder and speculate.
What does that mean? Does he not want to come to Chicago? Does he not want to play for the Bears? If the Bears do end up with the No. 1 pick, does this mean he’ll avoid entering the draft and stay another year at USC just to not be here? Is this the indicator/excuse the Bears need to not pick him? Does he really feel Marvin Harrison Jr. is better than him and deserves to be selected ahead of him? Is he a fan of Justin Fields and doesn’t want any part of a QB battle with him or any part of playing any role in helping the Bears make a decision on Fields? Or does he just not want to come to a team without any knowledge of who his head coach or offensive coordinator or maybe even GM will be?
Or as another fan on X proposed it: ‘‘Why would Caleb want to come to Chicago? He’s seen how quickly y’all turned on Justin despite going through 2 different GMs, 2 HCs, 2 OCs, a complete teardown devoid of talent. No person in their right mind would want to join a fan base that will turn on him quickly.’’
Or maybe, because you know players talk to one another, Williams holla’d at (texted, reached out to, DM’d, got his people to talk to Fields’ people, etc.) Fields, and Fields simply gave him that QB-code, players-only, one-word warning that every future professional athlete knows what’s meant when coming from someone already toilet-water-deep in the game when he says to them, ‘‘Bro . . . ’’
The Bears now stand at Nos. 1 and 9 in the draft next spring. Even with Miller Moss looking like a better version of Williams in the Holiday Bowl, Williams is still, by most Mel Kiper Jrs. and Daniel Jeremiahs, the holy grail of the 2024 draft board. Which makes the Bears’ situation beautifully screwed at best.
In the history of the NFL, there have been only five organizations to have back-to-back No. 1 picks in the draft (the Browns, 1999-2000 and 2017-18; the Bucs, 1976-77 and 1986-87; the Eagles, 1936-37; most recently the Jaguars, 2021-22; and, of course, the pre-Arizona Cardinals of Chicago, 1939-40).
Now the technicality of the Bears having the No. 1 pick last year and trading down because of the ‘‘security’’ they felt in Fields at QB makes the possible back-to-back R1P1 situation in which they could find themselves in April different than any of the situations mentioned above. Also, this pick — if they land it and make it — is one the Bears literally, figuratively, futuristically, metaphysically, allegorically, emphatically and unquestionably can’t ‘‘Bears’’ up.
(Keep in mind that even though the decision-makers at the non-ownership level are not the same, this is the same organization that in 2017 — the same year they traded up to get Mitch Trubisky at the two-spot, passing on Patrick Mahomes, Deshaun Watson, Christian McCaffrey and T.J. Watt — became the first organization in the NFL in 15 years to draft three non-FBS players in a single class. Just saying.)
Which is really what makes Williams’ X ‘‘followers’’ interesting, telling, uncertain and dangerous. They lead to no direct insight into what he’s thinking or feeling or possibly wanting for himself. The MHJ ‘‘like’’ is (or honestly could be) really more about big-upping Harrison than it is about a true disdain to play for the Bears. But don’t tell that to anyone in this blue/orange Bears bloc we call Chicago and the adjacent communities. In our minds, Caleb Williams committed treason No. 1 before he even arrived, regardless of what his intentions were. Sometimes ‘‘likes’’ speak louder than words.
If Drake Maye had ‘‘liked’’ anything similar, no needle in Chi would’ve moved. Hype works like that. But the mini-storm Williams ignited with his simple ‘‘agreeance’’ made the Richter scale dance a bit. Enough so that the Bears’ front office probably hired an outside coder to dig deeper into its potential/actual meaning. The fringe of paranoia. Dissonant indecisiveness. ‘‘It’’ factor or ‘‘sh**’’ factor? All of them in play by one simple push of a button by someone who’s not even (yet) a part of our city but could be an answer to our problems.
