National Football League

Chicago Bears select USC QB Caleb Williams with No. 1 pick in 2024 NFL Draft

Updated Apr. 25, 2024 8:20 p.m. ET

Caleb is officially heading to Chicago. The Chicago Bears selected USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on Thursday night, as was widely expected.

Williams had long been seen as the No. 1 prospect in the 2024 draft, dating back to even before he won the Heisman Trophy in 2022. He is seen as a once-in-a-generation quarterback prospect who has drawn comparison to three-time Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes for his arm strength and playmaking ability. Williams excelled again last season even as the Trojans struggled, posting 3,633 passing yards, 30 passing touchdowns, five interceptions and a 170.1 passer rating, while completing 68.6% of his passes. He also rushed for 11 scores.

The year prior, Williams totaled 4,537 passing yards, 382 rushing yards, 42 passing touchdowns, 10 rushing touchdowns, five interceptions and a 168.5 passer rating, while completing 66.6% of his passes, leading USC to an 11-3 record. He spent the first year of his collegiate career at Oklahoma in 2021, excelling for the Sooners after taking over midway through his true freshman season. He then followed head coach Lincoln Riley from Norman to Los Angeles via the transfer portal in 2022.

Chicago, which went 7-10 last season, acquired the No. 1 pick in a 2023 trade with the Carolina Panthers, who traded their 2024 first-rounder, among other assets, to position themselves to take Alabama quarterback Bryce Young with the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Panthers subsequently went 2-15 in a tumultuous rookie season for Young, which included the firing of Carolina coach Frank Reich just 11 games into his tenure.

The Bears traded Justin Fields, their starting quarterback of the past three seasons whom they also traded up to select in the 2021 NFL Draft, to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a future sixth-round draft pick last month, which presumably cleared the runway for them to select Williams. Chicago has also gone about adding veteran offensive skill players around Williams, trading for wide receiver Keenan Allen and signing running back D'Andre Swift in free agency to join DJ Moore and Cole Kmet as potential pass-catching targets for their new rookie quarterback.

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