Caleb Williams taking inspiration from Tom Brady after meeting with seven-time Super Bowl champ

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams is set to embark on the most challenging journey of his football career yet. While New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye and Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy will have the luxury of learning behind a veteran in their rookie season, Williams will be thrown into the fire immediately.

It should come as no surprise that Williams has higher expectations than other rookie quarterbacks in his draft class. The USC product has been touted as a generational talent, and he is widely considered to be the greatest quarterback prospect since Andrew Luck in the 2012 NFL Draft.

Despite the astronomical expectations, Williams is bound to have some bumps in the road during his rookie campaign. The young quarterback has made his fair share of mistakes during training camp, but he appears to be doing everything he can to prepare himself for the upcoming season.

Caleb Williams has learned from Tom Brady throughout the offseason

In May, Williams was one of 40 rookies who got invited to the 30th annual NFL Players Association's Rookie Premiere event in Los Angeles. The event gave Williams and a handful of other rookie quarterbacks the opportunity to meet with future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady over breakfast. Since then, Williams has wisely used Brady as a resource to prepare for his career.

"He kept harping on competitive stamina," Williams said, h/t ESPN's Courtney Cronin. "He kept harping on being around your guys, understanding them, that relationship. And then, I mean, it's hard. The job is hard. That's what he said."

To reach the pinnacle of quarterbacking like Brady did, Williams will have to survive the attrition of the NFL. Beyond just staying healthy, the league can begin to wear players down. The games are the fun part, but the preparation for those games can be grueling. Practices are grueling, and teams spend hours combing over details in meeting rooms. Quarterbacks have to spend hours in the film room, meticulously breaking down the opponent. Beyond that, longevity requires a strict diet and frequent work on mechanics.

"It's tough to go out there and win games," Williams continued relaying Brady's message. "Doing the best you can in the film room, with your diet and all the other things that you can control, go out there and handle those things, it gives your chances of winning games and doing what you want to do, it gives you the best chances."

Williams has even adopted the TB12 diet, which follows a mostly plant-based diet that promotes a variety of nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory foods in an effort to improve performance.

Bears general manager Ryan Poles has done everything he can to surround Williams with an adequate supporting cast to succeed. The Bears acquired veteran wide receiver Keenen Allen and running back D'Andre Swift during the offseason, then selected standout Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The trio of additions will join an offense that already features wide receiver D.J. Moore, who the Bears acquired last year in a trade with the Carolina Panthers.

Now all Williams has to do is use that supporting cast to kickstart a 23-year career with seven Super Bowl championships like Brady. Shouldn't be too hard, right?