Getty Former Chicago Bears quarterback Jim McMahon has some words of advice for Caleb Williams.
Chicago Bears legend Jim McMahon had some words of wisdom for new Bears quarterback Caleb Williams and wide receiver Rome Odunze.
The 2024 NFL draft was an eventful one for the Bears despite their having minimal picks, as Chicago landed two potential cornerstones.
In a video montage shared on the team’s social media pages, the former Bears QB was one of several current and former Chicago athletes to send messages to the newest members of the team. His advice was simple yet pointed:
“If I could give you just one piece of advice,” McMahon said, “and that’s to play hard. If you play hard, the fans will love you. And if you happen to play hard and win it all, the fans are going to love you forever. Good luck and Bear down.”
Jim McMahon Is Uniquely Qualified to Dispense Advice to Bears Players
To: @CALEBcsw & @RomeOdunze
From: Chicago
McMahon was among several former and current Chicago athletes to record messages to Williams and Odunze. Others to send messages to the Bears’ new rookie duo include former Bulls star and Chicago native Dwyane Wade, current Bulls All-Star DeMar DeRozan and current Chicago Blackhawks superstar Connor Bedard. Among them all, though, McMahon knows the most about what it takes to win in the Windy City.
The only quarterback to win a Super Bowl for Chicago, McMahon was a member of the legendary 1985 Bears team that also featured Hall of Famers Walter Payton, Mike Singletary and Dan Hampton. They won it all that season, which no Bears team has managed to do since. Williams and company would like to change that. They’d do well to heed any advice McMahon may throw their way.
As different as they are, Williams and McMahon have some similarities. Both were first-round picks, and both are known for unapologetically letting their personalities show through. Both also have their own unique sense of style. In his time with the Bears from 1982 until 1988, McMahon, who was known as the “Punky QB,” would often show up to practice looking like this:
The “Punky QB” Jim McMahon.
McMahon ultimately won fans of Chicago over by following his own advice: He always played hard. His grit, coupled with his leadership during the Bears’ lone championship run in 1985, made him a team legend despite his lack of dominant physical traits — traits many believe Williams has.
Bears Players ‘Excited’ About Addition of Caleb Williams
Chicago’s No. 1 overall pick, Williams is known for his boldness on the field and off. But to his credit, the rookie signal-caller knows what matters most, and that’s winning games
“I’m always going to have scrutiny,” Williams said at Halas Hall on April 26. “I do things like paint my nails. … I wear funky clothes, things like that. So you know. Just do my job on the football field and win games. I think if you win a bunch of games here, you’ll make a lot of people — the majority — happy. So.”
“When I wake up and go (to) the mirror and look at myself, I’m comfortable with that man that’s looking back,” Williams added. “I know who I am. I know what I like. I know what I like to do. With that, I know that I work hard and I enjoy what I do. I’m very comfortable with who I am. That’s how I go about it.”
Bears general manager Ryan Poles says Williams’ new teammates are stoked by what he could bring and are looking forward to sharpening their skills by practicing against him.
“I got a lot of text messages from the offense and defensive guys that are just fired up,” Poles said. “Competition for practice, they’re all excited about that, too. Just from all the messages that I got and some of the guys that I’ve seen, they’re really pumped.”
If Williams lives up to the hype and heeds McMahon’s advice, the sky could be the limit for Chicago.