Mired in losing streak, Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams affirms confidence in Bears' front office

LAKE FOREST, Ill. - The 2024 Chicago Bears season has been uncharted waters for rookie quarterback Caleb Williams.

Chicago's first-ever No. 1 overall pick has never lost seven-straight games in his football career before. Such is the life of a superstar quarterback.

Williams lost nine combined games in high school and 10 combined games in college with USC and Oklahoma. The worst stretch of his career was losing five of his final six games of the 2023 season at USC. 

Here's a seven-game skid, kid. Welcome to Chicago. 

"I've never had a streak like this of losing in my playing," Williams said. "So, I ask questions."

Opening a line of questioning isn't new. Williams has always been inquisitive from the first day he arrived at Halas Hall and worked with the Bears' veterans.

Williams said he's specifically been asking other veterans around the locker room how they've handled losing streaks and down seasons in their careers before. 

"The more knowledge that I have prepares me for the future, if this ever comes close to something like this again," Williams said. "I'm going to work hard and make sure it doesn't."

That future is coming quickly.

The Bears are in the market for a head coach. Either Thomas Brown sheds the interim tag, or the team looks elsewhere.

Still, this will mark Williams' third offensive coordinator in the NFL since he started his career just eight months ago when he was drafted to Chicago on that fateful day in Detroit.

There aren't any doubts that pop into Williams' head, though. 

This is because Williams believes in the front office, specifically Bears general manager Ryan Poles. He talked about the side of Poles that fans and reporters don't get to see.

There was a glimpse of it when the Bears were featured on Hard Knocks, but that just scratched the surface.

"The amount that he cares about us, the Chicago Bears and wanting to win is why my faith is in him and believing in him and making sure that we get it right," Williams said.

As to why Poles can't get it right in player decisions on the roster, Williams said he's not involved in personnel decisions but did note Poles was the person who added Keenan Allen, D'Andre Swift and Rome Odunze this offseason. Williams also noted Poles was able to finesse the Bears to be in a position to draft him at No. 1 overall.

This season will be a massive test for the Bears. It's arguably one of the biggest decisions the Bears will make in franchise history, considering what's in place, what's to come and where the franchise is.

Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren said as much when the team discussed the future of the franchise on Dec. 2.

"You hate saying that decisions are going to set the trajectory of the franchise over the next 10 to 15 to 20 years," Warren said on Dec. 2. "This is one that will."

The good news for the Bears is they are one believer. It might be the most important believer of them all: their franchise quarterback.

"There's belief," Williams said. "Belief, hope and faith that we're going to get this right."