Caleb Williams has yet to take an official snap for the Chicago Bears. That's not stopping his teammates from crowning him a leader of the franchise, with the Bears announcing Monday that the No. 1 overall draft pick has been voted one of the team's eight captains for the 2024 NFL season.
The 22-year-old quarterback will represent the club throughout his rookie campaign alongside wide receiver D.J. Moore, tight end Cole Kmet, tight end Marcedes Lewis, linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, linebacker T.J. Edwards, cornerback Jaylon Johnson and safety Kevin Byard.
Williams' election isn't the only notable one in Windy City, as Lewis is entering his 19th NFL season at age 40, one of the oldest active players in the league; and Byard just joined the team in free agency this spring.
Williams' inclusion signals the Bears' instant belief in his leadership atop the quarterback depth chart, however. The USC product was widely considered one of the top signal-caller prospects to enter the NFL in recent years, and he earned widespread praise for a splashy preseason debut as Chicago's starter.
"The first rule of leadership is leading yourself," Bears coach Matt Eberflus said of team captainship last offseason. "Everybody's a leader. We need leadership in every room from the first guy to the last guy. And we need discipline, and habits have to be right. We have to do a great job of leading and following. Sometimes you take the lead and sometimes you also have to listen and follow who's in front. That's important that we do that as a group."