How much of the Bears’ success depends on Caleb Williams?

Football is the ultimate team sport, but it’s hard to be a true contender in today’s NFL without a star quarterback.

That’s why the Chicago Bears spent the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft on USC’s Caleb Williams, hoping to land the kind of transcendent talent that can turn them into a championship team.

But just how much of the Bears success will ride on Williams’ performance, and how much responsibility will rest with his supporting cast?

Former NFL quarterback Matt Hasselbeck told Ryan Leaf (guest-hosting “The Dan Patrick Show”) on Thursday that the Bears will sink or swim with their new signal-caller:

You could make the argument that Justin Fields’ lack of help around him kept him from maximizing his talent, but Williams appears to have a much higher ceiling, and might be able to elevate in supporting cast instead of relying on them to pull their own weight.

We’ll see what happens when the real games start this fall.