Chicago Bears Quarterback Caleb Williams is everywhere these days. He’s on the cover of Madden NFL 27. The NFL is still posting his highlight reels from those unforgettable playoff games against the Green Bay Packers and Los Angeles Rams. Just this past Thursday, during a pre-season matchup between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers, color commentator Cris Collinsworth praised Williams’ superhuman abilities while finger-wagging quarterback Haynes King, who threw the ball while retreating: “You don’t run backwards and throw the ball in this league—unless you’re Caleb Williams.”
Now, there’s a new mural of Williams on North Halsted Street, just north of West Randolph Street, in Chicago’s West Loop. Chicago muralist Asend is responsible for the ode to the 24-year-old star, depicting Williams in his chilly “Iceman” pose.
After one of the most exciting seasons in Bears history, the Chicago Bears are still the coolest team in the NFL — and the anticipation for this season is growing for fans across the nation. Large crowds have been showing up at the Bears training camp in Lake Forest, ranging from 1,700 to 1,900 fans on any given day. The TRiiBE spent Thursday at Halas Hall in Lake Forest, where the team has been diligently preparing for the beginning of the season. DJ Marquee had the place rocking, playing edited versions of popular rap tracks like “Preach” by Young Dolph and “Love Sosa” by Chief Keef.
Bears fan and father Sam Evans brought his three sons to training camp, which was open to the public. Two of the boys rocked a Rome Odunze jersey, and the youngest donned QB18. Rookie Wide Receiver Zavion Thomas and Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren signed their jerseys.
“I’m the head coach for my two youngest’s football teams, but they all play,” Evans said. “So I just wanted to show them how the pros work so they can take it back to practice and energize the team,” he told The TRiiBE. “Like I told them, once y’all get older, kids that’s y’all age now will want autographs, so make sure when you get to that point, you guys can give back to the kids.”
Asked what his hopes are for this upcoming Bears season, Evans said, “Some more explosive offense, and the playoffs for sure.”
The Bears boast a roster budding with emerging stars — like running back Kyle Monangai, wide receivers Luther Burden III and Odunze, and even Tight End Colston Loveland. Even more so, from Williams’ attention-grabbing choice of nail color to Odunze’s thriving afro and Burden’s elaborate touchdown celebrations, the Bears have captured America’s attention. The Bears are beginning to look less like a team riding an adrenaline rush and more like the center of a cultural football movement shaping an exciting future for the league.
But Head Coach Ben Johnson could care less about any of the hype and admiration. Sure, he caved in one time, reveling in the glory after a dub against the Philadelphia Eagles; he ripped off his shirt just before a passionate “Good, Better, Best” locker room chant. But for the most part, Chicago’s coach has been a pillar of stoicism.
“Appreciate all the flowery comments there, but they understand that we’re just getting started here at camp, and hard work is really what we’re doing every single day,” coach told The TRiiBE.
This year will be a new challenge for the second-year head coach, who is only 40 years old. The Monsters of the Midway are no longer the surprise team. This season, opponents will likely circle the Bears on their calendar.
Before the start of Thursday’s training camp, Johnson approached the podium around 8:30 a.m. to address the media. We asked how he keeps his team, especially his young superstar quarterback, focused amid the distractions. His response was simple. “We tell them the truth in the meetings.”
“They want to be great, so when it’s good, we let them know that it’s good. When it’s not good enough, we let them know,” Johnson told The TRiiBE “Two days ago, practice was not good enough as a whole team, and certainly not as an offense. We have a long way to go.”
A core piece of the Bears success last year was DJ Moore, who is now a wide receiver with the Buffalo Bills following a trade in March. The Bears received a second-round draft pick in exchange for Moore and a fifth round pick.
Since then, the Bears have added veteran wide receiver Kalif Raymond. He comes to Chicago from the Detroit Lions, a NFC North rival where Johnson previously served as offensive coordinator. So Raymond’s already spent time in a Johnson offense.
Raymond certainly can’t replace Moore, at least not in the hearts of Chicagoans. Moore’s “It’s F the Packers always” after beating Green Bay in week 16 will never be forgotten.
But Raymond will bring familiarity and experience to the offense. “He’s going to make a difference on our offense. He’s got elite speed [and] he can do things after the catch,” Johnson said.
Asked if he’s excited to build on the cool things he saw the Bears achieve last season, Raymond told The TRiiBE, “We got high character guys, high efficiency, high work ethic. I can sense how this team was so close knit last year, and we’re trying to replicate that as much as we can.”
Maintaining their title as the coolest team in the NFL will come with a new set of expectations this time around. The team is full of athletes with the aura of rock stars. So much so, that the team has become a cultural phenomenon.
Now there’s the pressure to prove that last season wasn’t a fluke. In what was the third day in full pads, the Bears ran a hard, physical, and intense practice of almost three hours that Thursday. You could see Johnson, and even Williams, get visibly upset at mental mistakes like false starts and other offensive penalties.
“There is a standard that good teams have. This is how they operate. This is how they practice. This is the level of intensity they have. So that standard is what he preaches,” Raymond said about Johnson’s coaching style. “He doesn’t preach, ‘Hey, don’t fall into the trap.’ He’s like, ‘Hey, man, there’s a standard.’ This is what we have to attain every time we step out on the field.'”
The Bears preseason home opener is set for Aug. 15 at Soldier Field against the Cleveland Browns.
