A version of this article originally appeared on May 2.

NFL fans in London will get to see the number one overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft in action on Sunday, with the Chicago Bears desperately hoping Caleb Williams can finally be the franchise quarterback they’ve always wanted.

Chicago fans have been alive ever since Williams’ name was called during the draft because not only have they been starved of recent success, but in their long 104-year history, the team has never really had a superstar at the most important position in the league. sport.

What this highlights is the fact that the team is the only team in the league that has never had a quarterback pass for 4,000 yards or 30 touchdowns in a season.

Williams could be the man to change that and the Bears have gone all in to build a side ready for Williams to win right away.

After a disappointing first two games, Williams is starting to find his feet and has led the Bears to a 3-2 record, propelling them into the early playoffs in the competitive NFC North division, led by the undefeated Minnesota Vikings.

Last week, in a 36-10 win over the Carolina Panthers, Williams turned in his best performance yet, throwing for 304 yards and two touchdowns with a passer rating of 126.2.

He has five touchdowns and no interceptions in his past three games and is starting to impress his leadership skills on the team

“He’s been bossy lately and telling us to pay attention to the details,” receiver DJ Moore said Wednesday.

“That’s him as a leader.”

Sunday’s game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium against the struggling Jacksonville Jaguars will provide another opportunity for Williams to show off his quality and take another positive step in his NFL journey.

Why Williams had to be first choice

It was seen as a no-brainer for Chicago to select Williams – not only as a talent too good to turn down, but also as having the personality and charisma to become the sport’s next big star.

In a word: he is different. Not only with his talent on the field, but also with his personality off it, and a larger-than-life personality is exactly what is needed to turn around this weak franchise.

Bears fans hope to look back on this pick in years to come as the turning point for a team without a Super Bowl since its famous 1985 season, without a playoff win since 2010 and without much hope since.

There have been false mornings and near misses, but the Bears, the second-oldest team in the NFL with nine overall championships, have never had a star quarterback in the modern era.

Now their dreams rest with a 22-year-old who could do just about anything in college football.

What type of quarterback is Williams?

Starting with Oklahoma, Williams transferred to the University of Southern California (USC) and easily won the Heisman Trophy as college football’s best player in his freshman year at USC in 2022.

The team struggled last year, but Williams still shined as one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks, as well as someone who just doesn’t give the ball away.

Williams totaled 10,082 passing yards and 93 touchdowns in his three years in college — throwing just 14 interceptions — along with 960 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns on the ground.

Add to that the fact that Williams can extend plays and throw just as well while scrambling as in the pocket — think Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers on the run — and he had NFL talent evaluators salivating over his skills.

In crucial third and fourth down situations, he took his game to an elite level, completing 199 passes without an interception while throwing 46 touchdowns in the red zone and giving the ball away just once.

“One of the most talented quarterbacks I’ve ever evaluated,” said former NFL quarterback and now TV analyst Chris Simms. “One of the greatest pitchers in college football history.”

Caleb Williams – superstar in waiting

Williams is one of the most marketable sports stars in the US, without even having played in the NFL. Even in college, he reportedly earned up to ten million dollars in endorsement deals.

He always does it his way and has his own style, like his pink phone case and painted fingernails while watching the NCAA women’s basketball tournament.

A video of Williams crying with his mother after USC lost to Washington last year also went viral — something he later used as part of his mental health advocacy.

“I give it my all on every play, every chance I get. I have been an advocate for mental health, show your emotions and express yourself,” Williams said in response on social media.

And true to his word, Williams has his own foundation called Caleb Cares, which focuses on mental health, anti-bullying and youth empowerment.

He’s the first real millionaire college star to join the NFL, which some say means he won’t have the same hunger – but he’s shown how passionate he can be and seems confident in giving everything he has to to bring success to the Chicago Bears.

Why Williams can revive the Bears

For sleeping giants read hibernating bears. The team is over a century old and is one of only two original NFL teams still in existence, but they are starved of recent success.

The Bears have won nine NFL championships (though only one of those was a Super Bowl), have won the second-most games in NFL history and have the most players inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Only one of those was a true franchise quarterback — and the fact that it was Sid Luckman 85 years ago shows why fans are desperate for Williams to fill that painful void.

The team drafted Mitchell Trubisky with the second overall pick in 2017 — famously passing on Mahomes — and Justin Fields with the 11th selection in 2021, but neither worked.

However, they have gone all-in on Williams, as the only quarterback they entertained in Chicago during the pre-draft process, and have provided their new playmaker with receiving targets.

Rome Odunze was selected with the ninth overall draft pick this year and veteran Keenan Allen, a six-time Pro Bowler, arrived in free agency to join DJ Moore in a now stacked receiving group.

With a new stadium on the way, Chicago can finally have hope for the future, but a lot rests on the talented shoulders of their new quarterback.