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Even Keenan Allen, the Chicago Bears’ newest star wide receiver, showed up to watch Caleb Williams in action during his March 20 pro day at USC.
In a now-viral video, Allen greeted Williams in all-Bears gear as he walked out onto the field ahead of his workout in Los Angeles on Wednesday. The two shared a brief hug and exchanged a few words, an interaction that instantly caught fire on social media.
Williams, the presumptive No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL draft, could be throwing passes to the six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver next season for the Bears. Chicago holds the top selection in next month’s draft and, after trading Justin Fields last week, has an obvious need for a new franchise quarterback. Still, the evaluation is not complete just yet.
The Bears brought a heavy contingent of scouts, coaches and front-office personnel to USC to see their prospective future quarterback in action. According to The Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs, Chicago brought at least nine representatives apart from Allen, including general manager Ryan Poles, assistant general manager Ian Cunningham, head coach Matt Eberflus and new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron.
If Williams does land in Chicago, the Bears have to appreciate Allen’s willingness to make him feel welcome. Not every 32-year-old wide receiver would be thrilled about the prospect of playing with a rookie quarterback, especially one who just went through the same process with Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers four years ago.
Talk about a team guy.
Bears Are Odds-On Favorites to Draft Caleb Williams
The Bears remain the odds-on favorites to draft Williams in the 2024 NFL draft, and it does not take a brilliant mind to understand why they have an interest in him.
Williams is the consensus No. 1 quarterback prospect in the 2024 class, having drawn lofty comparisons to elite NFL passers such as Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers. Meanwhile, the Bears hold the top pick in the draft and have an evident desire to find a new franchise quarterback after trading Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers last week.
The match is simply too perfect to deny at this stage, and the oddsmakers agree. The latest DraftKings SportsBook odds heavily favor Williams to land with the Bears (-3000) with the Washington Commanders (+750) considered distant seconds. He is also a big-time favorite to be the No. 1 pick (-3500) over LSU’s Jayden Daniels (+1100).
Did Keenan Allen Trade Send Caleb Williams a Message?
The Bears made one of the most unexpected moves of the 2024 new league year on March 14 when they traded a fourth-round pick to the Chargers for the veteran Allen. While many knew they would add at least one receiver to account for the departures of Darnell Mooney, Chase Claypool and Equanimeous St. Brown in the past year, a bold play for a six-time Pro Bowler on a pricey contract was not a common expectation.
But the Bears did it. Could they have done it to send Williams a message?
A reporter asked Williams at the 2024 NFL Combine in Indianapolis earlier this month what he wanted to know about the Bears as he goes through the pre-draft process with them and meets more extensively with members of the organization. He only had one thing he said he wanted to know about them: “Do you want to win?”
As much as the Bears could just tell him yes, they do want to win, it goes a lot further when they have evidence to support their claim. That’s what the trade for Allen is. The Bears watched DJ Moore evolve into a superstar for them in 2023 and followed up with the acquisition of another receiver with more than 10,000 career receiving yards.
The Bears also added other pieces to their offensive arsenal in 2024 free agency, signing running back D’Andre Swift and tight end Gerald Everett as a No. 2 to Cole Kmet. Not a bad offensive situation for a rookie quarterback to walk into.
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