Sad news: Ryan poles has been fired by Bears following…

As the Chicago Bears begin to usher in a new era with rookie quarterback Caleb Williams at the helm, and a very much important face of the franchise, the organization is hoping he doesn’t do it all by himself.

Williams, the former Heisman Trophy winner, selected No. 1 in this year’s NFL draft has been tasked to not only takeover as the starting quarterback, but potential savior of a franchise desperate for a solidified option at the position.

With the 2024 season set to begin next week, everything begins to matter on paper for Williams and this team, and the team’s brass is hopeful he doesn’t try to do it all on his own. Speaking to the media this week, general manager Ryan Poles discussed how Williams has grown as a leader in the locker room to start his career. Noting it doesn’t just happen with his actions on the field, but that being his true and authentic self, not trying to be out of character and become someone that’s not himself.

“It’s fairly natural, it’s not forced,” Poles said. “We’ve all been in teams before but there’s people that come into those situations and they try too hard and it’s like ‘Man, that’s awkward’ and it’s hard to buy into that. Then there’s guys that can just navigate that so naturally because they’re authentic and it’s real. That’s what he’s done. On top of that, as a professional player you have to perform, you have to do some things that guys are like ‘Ok, there’s something different about you’ and then pair that with good social skills, some cool things happen and leadership starts to blossom and that’s what you see now.”

When it comes to his expectations for Williams, that’s when Poles made it known that he wants the rookie quarterback to lean on his teammates and acknowledged that things may not always go according to plan, but it’s how it is handled that matters most.

“I want him to lean on the talent around him,” Poles said. “Then when the time is right, and that’s an instinctual thing, and that’s when you do the special and balancing that. Sometimes it’s going to get out of whack one way or the other but always come back to that, that neutral place is where he’s at his best. I think he has that just from studying him and watching years of tape on him. I think that’s the big thing is just lean on the guys around him, be instinctual, let those ‘wow’ plays happen at the right time, we saw it a bit in the preseason, it’s going to be important.”

Growth and production for Williams will ultimately drive the 2024 Bears into success. But managing the spotlight and pressure, while putting his team in a winning position will all be a challenge for the rookie to withstand all season. Thankfully for him, the entire team and the front office don’t want him to do it alone.