The hype around Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears is warranted. The NFL’s charter franchise seems to have legitimate hope for the future in the long run for the first time in decades. But that doesn’t mean we have to jump the gun about how good they are before the rookie Williams has played a single professional game.
This didn’t stop Rich Eisen.
During Monday’s episode of The Rich Eisen Show, the broadcaster ran through the best-case scenarios for every NFL team during the 2024 season. When it came to the Bears, Eisen painted what he thinks is a feasible reality — the rookie Williams taking Chicago to Super Bowl 59 in New Orleans.
Uh, I mean … can we not?
Rich Eisen thinks the best case for the Bears this year isn’t the playoffs.. It’s the Super Bowl.. 👀 #DaBears #Bears #ChicagoBears pic.twitter.com/rOZePzbjzV
— Clay Harbor (@clayharbs82) June 3, 2024
Here’s a little snippet of Eisen’s thoughts on the 2024 Bears:
“I’m saying the best-case scenario for the Bears is this kid [Caleb Williams] takes them to the Super Bowl [59]. I’m saying that’s the best-case scenario, the glass couldn’t be more half-full if this happens.”
Look, I’m all for setting reasonable expectations for the Bears.
I think Williams can certainly elevate Chicago to a playoff contender who gives some of the other NFC superpowers a legitimate run for their money. There is enough talent on this roster on both sides of the ball — Williams, D.J. Moore, Rome Odunze, Jaylon Johnson, Montez Sweat — to expect an enjoyable Bears season. Chicago should be one of the more watchable NFL teams this fall.
But without Williams throwing a single regular-season pass, predicting a playoff berth feels like a stretch. Even when setting aside a tough and challenging NFC North division, there is no proof in the pudding quite yet. To take it further and say Williams will lead the Bears to only their third NFC title in franchise history as a rookie is absurd. It is June 3, everyone.
The 2024 NFL season is still three months away!
We can and should pull back by having more nuanced discussions about talented young NFL players. Let’s let Williams’ Bears be young, exciting, and unpredictable first before putting any Super Bowl expectations on them.
