Do the Bears have a strong foundation in place to inherit a rookie quarterback?
NFL analyst Colin Cowherd suggested Thursday that Caleb Williams and his camp aren't interested in being drafted by the Chicago Bears because of their long, tortured history with quarterbacks and their current ideal position in the league.
"I do think it's possible that Washington trades up and Chicago allows Washington to trade up," Cowherd said Thursday on his show "The Herd." "Because Caleb and his group do not want to go to Chicago."
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NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, one of the most renowned voices in the NFL media sphere, pushed back on that notion on X.
"Why would he be anti-Chicago if the #Bears end up going QB at 1? Great city, classic organization, played great at the end of the year, seems to be building a really solid foundation," Rapoport posted to X.
Of course, Williams' camp called Cowherd to set the record straight about the USC quarterback's interests and non-interests. They told Cowherd they are not "anti-Bears," but opposed to teams who may not care enough.
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"There are concerns [about the Bears] and I pointed them out yesterday on the show from Caleb Williams and his camp," Cowherd said. "This is not the perfect destination. Washington at No. 2, in my opinion, he's from there, is a much better landing spot.
"But I got a call yesterday from the Caleb Williams camp. ... And they went 'Woah, woah woah! Colin, we don't want to be painted as anti-Chicago. And we don't want to be painted as anti-Bear.' And they made it clear to me that they said 'Listen, we don't want to go to a city that doesn't care. Chicago cares. They're big, loud, they're passionate. They fire coaches all the time. They care. We don't want to go to some sun belt place that you tarp off the upper deck.'
"And they did say there is a path to succeed in Chicago. It's called the Houston Texans. Defensive coach, a couple of weapons, cap space, good pick. They mentioned they got a second pick. There's a bunch of good receivers out there. And they already have one bona fide No. 1 pick."
MORE: Why Caleb Williams-Bears are an ideal match, despite questions
Chicago is a solid place for Williams to play. Yes, the organization's history of quarterbacks is horrid, buried in mediocrity behind great defenses that have come inevitably partnered with them.
But I'll say this --- the Bears do not have the worst situation in the NFL. Rookie quarterbacks drafted No. 1 usually have to endure the worst situation in the NFL by virtue of the No. 1 pick. But Williams wouldn't have to.
The Bears aren't supposed to have the No. 1 pick. In fact, they don't. Their pick is No. 9, the one they landed because they finished 7-10 this past season. Is their roster ready to contend? Absolutely not. But they're closer than several other organizations in the NFL.
Plus, they could line Williams up with their new offensive coordinator, Shane Waldron, and his offensive staff, who have a stronger track record of developing quarterbacks and offenses. As Cowherd said, the Bears have weapons, cap space and draft assets to couple with their growing defense, which improved drastically over the final weeks of the season.
Yes, Williams is a D.C. native and I'm certain it wouldn't bug him to play in his hometown. But the NFL isn't that perfect. And the Bears and Williams are a strong match for each other.
Unfortunately, despite Williams' camp telling him differently, Cowherd still won't get off his podium.
"I think Caleb Williams deep down, privately, has concerns about the Bears," Cowherd said.