There’ll proceed to be a wealth of hypothesis surrounding the Chicago Bears and the No. 1 choose within the 2024 NFL Draft. There’s an abundance of storylines and situations that might play out.
Nevertheless, the dialogue has taken a flip with the announcement that the Bears are interviewing Kliff Kingsbury for his or her open offensive coordinator job.
Caleb Williams-Kliff Kingsbury Connection
The Bears fired their OC Luke Getsy on the finish of the NFL common season, together with 5 different coaches, to go in a unique path. One of many candidates to be interviewed is Kingsbury, an fascinating determination, given his hyperlinks to a sure prime QB within the 2024 NFL Draft.
Kingsbury spent the 2023 season as a senior offensive analyst with the Trojans, the place Williams was QB. Kingsbury was fired as HC of the Arizona Cardinals in January 2023 after he completed with an general file of 28-37.
Kingsbury joined the workers within the offseason, having already had a connection to Trojans HC Lincoln Riley. Riley and Kingsbury performed collectively at Texas Tech, when Riley was a walk-on backup to Kingsbury.
Earlier than turning into an NFL HC, Kingsbury was the HC at Texas Tech, the place he coached NFL celebrity Patrick Mahomes. How he developed Mahomes in school was one of many causes he obtained an NFL gig, and his potential to work with QBs will definitely be on the Bears’ thoughts.
Talking to Albert Breer, Kingsbury stated that Williams compares to Mahomes, “There’s eerily uncanny similarities — it’s cool to observe.” Kingsbury isn’t the primary and gained’t be the final to make the Mahomes-Williams comparability, which has turn into the go-to for draft analysts. However his relationship with each QBs makes this yet one more fascinating.
Williams has additionally spoken about how good it was having Kingsbury round through the 2023 season. “He’s a terrific coach to have within the QB room as a result of he’s seen it executed on the very best stage,” Williams stated.
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“Only a good relationship coach, and he offers you the actual, and we’ll speak and have good conversations, whether or not it’s now or down the road a few years from now, the best way issues work out. He’s been nice. It’s superior to have him.”
Williams and Kingsbury having an present relationship actually provides intrigue to the Bears’ determination to interview him for the open OC spot. If they’re leaning towards drafting Williams and buying and selling Justin Fields, speaking to Kingsbury no less than is smart.
Why Are the Bears Curious about Kingsbury?
Williams was already the favourite with bookmakers to be drafted No.1 general, however his odds fell dramatically on Jan. 18 after ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Kingsbury “Is predicted to interview for the Chicago Bears’ offensive coordinator job, per sources.”
The curiosity in Kingsbury actually alerts a sway towards Williams, however it doesn’t imply that the tide has fully moved in that path.
Even when they don’t rent Kingsbury, it’s nonetheless the right course of to interview him and do their due diligence. As Dane Brugler from The Athletic put it, “Whatever the Bears’ stage of curiosity in Kingsbury, it’s a sensible transfer to interview him as they proceed to scout and study all the pieces potential about Caleb Williams.”
Brugler additionally stated, “Scouting is a continuous fact-finding mission,” which means the Bears ought to be doing all the pieces of their energy to ensure no stone is left unturned.
Talking to the media GM Ryan Poles stated that the Bears’ workers is in “data gathering mode” proper now. Given Kingsbury’s data of Williams, he is a superb place to look.
Kingsbury’s intimate data of Williams might be invaluable to the Bears. The story of the offseason can be what the Bears do with the No. 1 general choose, and extra particularly, do they draft Williams or stick it out with present QB Justin Fields?
By going with Kingsbury and Williams, Chicago can be resetting the QB clock whereas additionally taking one of many prime QB prospects we’ve got seen lately.
Nevertheless, there is no such thing as a certainty in relation to draft prospects, and for nonetheless good Williams is, if he isn’t put into the appropriate franchise and proper state of affairs, then he may fail.
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Whereas this might be true, there are alternate options. Whereas Kingsbury and Williams have a connection, the Bears may genuinely have an curiosity in Kingsbury even with out his relationship.
Kingsbury had developed a repute as being an offensive genius, and whereas his time as HC of the Cardinals didn’t go as deliberate, we did see glimpses of what Kingsbury needed his offense to do.
With Kyler Murray as his QB, Kingsbury confirmed he is aware of the way to make the most of operating QBs. It might be that the Bears assume that Kingsbury may take Fields to the following stage in the event that they select to stay with him.
What May the Bears Do With the No. 1 Decide?
This all comes all the way down to the query that’s on everybody’s lips — what do the Bears do with the No. 1 choose?
When talking after Week 18 of the NFL season, Bears GM Ryan Poles stated to the media that “[he’s] obtained to remain open-minded about it.” He can’t slim himself all the way down to a single possibility, as that may blind him to different potentialities.
He instructed the media that he would must be blown away if he was to maneuver on. “I did assume Justin obtained higher. I feel he can lead this crew. However on the identical time, there’s a distinctive state of affairs,” Poles stated.
Poles is conscious about the probabilities which are earlier than him. He admits he has run via “one million totally different situations” all yr. “I’ll simply keep very large open with the totally different paths that we go,” Poles stated. “As we acquire data, if that closes a few of these pathways down, then we’ll do this and transfer to a few of the different ones, however I’m going to be large open about this.”
It is a enormous determination, not just for Poles however for the Bears group. The choice will possible be career-defining for the GM. In the meantime, for the Bears, it will be a giant determination to maneuver on from Fields, who, whereas not setting the league on fireplace, has proven that he’s ok.
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