Even Caleb Williams already knows he's going to the Chicago Bears

Nothing is official until it is, but we can safely project that former USC Trojans star quarterback Caleb Williams will be the No. 1 overall pick by the Chicago Bears in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft. While Chicago has been one of the worst places to be a quarterback in NFL history, Justin Fields improved each year under center there. Williams' talent is off the charts, so he might be able to overcome this.

More importantly, it seems as though he is more than open to playing for the Bears now. He has for all intents and purposes accepted his fate of being taken first by Chicago. While it is every player's dream to go No. 1 overall, it was Williams saying that THE PLAYERS Championship attracts a lot of Bears fans. He was seen walking the course inside the ropes this weekend. He is a man of the people.

Oh, no question. Chicago has great people. I lived there for three years, and the people are fantastic. The weather sucks, but the food is delicious and its people are rabidly passionate about its historically underperforming sports teams. This city will support a winner, and a loser, as illustrated by the Chicago Cubs' entire brand prior to winning it all in 2016. Williams is ready to be a Chicagoan, y'all!

In a totally unprompted manner, listen to what Williams had to say about Bears fans in this exclusive.

If Williams is as advertised, we're talking about him having more reach than Patrick Mahomes one day.

Caleb Williams seems to be all aboard playing for the Chicago Bears

It has never been his talent that I have questioned. It is his character. He may be too much of an ad-libber for my taste, but I would absolutely take him first if I had the No. 1 overall pick. You cannot pass on the next Mahomes under any circumstances. However, his intangibles could be the deciding factor in how good he will be at the next level. Does he have the mental fortitude to survive the Bears?

I love the potential partnership he would have with new Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. He will challenge Williams to take his game to an even higher level. If Wiliams can assert himself as a team leader and be one of the guys day one in Halas Hall, then he can achieve all that he can at the NFL level. For what he could mean to the sport of football, I want him to do that. I just have concerns.

Ultimately, all it really does take is for one guy to change the temperature in the room. Joe Burrow was that in Cincinnati. Michael Jordan was that on the hardwood when he arrived in Chicago out of UNC in the mid-1980s. Williams could be exactly what the Bears are looking for. We can only hope that his generational presence gets the Bears to lessen the G.I. Joe kung-fu grip on all things to do with 1985.

We are talking about the best prospect since Trevor Lawrence going to one of the NFL's biggest and most iconic brands. I cannot emphasize how big this would be for everyone involved if this works out.