Chicago Bears were close to shocking the world in 2024 NFL Draft

Believe it or not, but the Chicago Bears almost didn’t select Caleb Williams with the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

That is, if you believe J.J. McCarthy’s quarterback coach, Greg Holcomb.

In a recent interview with The Athletic, Holcomb said that Bears general manager Ryan Poles nearly pulled the trigger on the former Michigan standout with the No. 1 pick.

“He (Poles) was talking about how much they (the Bears) loved J.J.,” Holcomb said. “And said to me, ‘I don’t think people realize how close we were to possibly taking him.’ Obviously, they love Caleb, but I thought that was interesting.”

No chance Bears almost passed on Caleb Williams

While I appreciate Holcomb’s advocacy for his client, I think it’s fair to say he has some very real bias.

Of course, he wants the masses to believe the Chicago Bears were strongly considering his guy with the first overall pick. But let’s get real, ok? There’s no way Poles would’ve passed on Caleb Williams for McCarthy. It’s especially true when two other quarterbacks — Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye — were also graded higher than McCarthy and would’ve been a more obvious alternative to the ex-Wolverine.

Remember: The run-up to the 2024 NFL Draft included questions about McCarthy’s pro projection because of how run-heavy Michigan’s offense was. In fact, he was the biggest unknown of all the first-round quarterback prospects.

McCarthy missed his entire rookie season with a knee injury. At the same time, Caleb Williams threw for more than 3,500 yards, 20 touchdowns, and set the NFL rookie record for the most consecutive passes without an interception.

So, sure, as a new NFL season inches closer and McCarthy embarks on his first pro start, bizarre messaging like this will make its way through the media.

But don’t get it twisted. There was never a debate over who the Chicago Bears were selecting in the 2024 NFL Draft, no matter how much McCarthy’s QB trainer wants to believe it. And the Bears defense will do its part to prove that point in Week 1, when Chicago welcomes the Vikings to Soldier Field on Monday Night Football.