“No Other Choice”: Chicago Bears Receive Firm Advice to Accept Caleb Williams, Time to Move On From Justin Fields

It seems the Bears will have to accept the “Hollywood guy” after all! Despite all the initial resistance from the players, the odds of it being Caleb Williams in the end for the Bears are the highest. The Bears and Caleb Williams are the match that has a fixed spot in almost all mock 2024 NFL drafts.

The questions started popping up when the Bears seemed a too-easy pick for Caleb Williams, especially with its management almost in chaos, per Cam Newton. “Where you are now thrust into a CEO role, where you have to manage the owner, off-field general manager, head coach position, coach, and players. That’s a tall order,” Newton opined, advising Williams to pull an “Eli.”

However, Jerry Hairston believes that if he does that, it would be nothing less than a nightmare for the Chicago Bears. Hairston voiced his advice for the Chicago Bears, who still seem stuck in the Justin Fields era. “Justin’s no longer there. You gotta be accepting of Caleb Willaims. And I say Caleb Williams because there’s no other choice. You lose Justin Fields, your leader. There’s only one guy that’s coming,” Hairston said on NBC Sports Chicago.

However, the analyst perfectly understood the bond that the Bears roster fostered for years with Justin Fields and saw him improve his performance each day, “these guys without question, they backed Justin Fields, they loved Justin Fields,” as Hairston puts it. Naturally, accepting a face straight out of college football leading them would be a tough pill for the team. That is precisely why Jaylon Johnson was apprehensive about Caleb Williams leading their team.

Jaylon Johnson’s tough standards for Caleb Williams

The Bears CB was simply not accepting “the Hollywood guy” bee-lining his way into the team. For Jaylon to accept him, Williams needed “to prove himself.” “You can’t bring that Hollywood stuff into the building, especially with guys who played this game at a high level for consecutive years in the league. What you did in college, the Hollywood, it’s like, ‘Nah, you gotta prove yourself. That stuff like that doesn’t matter,” Johnson confessed in the Up and Adams show.

However, the real intentions behind Johnson’s words were something else. All the CB wanted from the top collegiate player walking into the Bears’ locker room was for him to “bring out his best potential.” After the Justin Fields trade, the Bears consider Johnson the franchise-altering player since Williams is not on their roster yet.

READ MORE: Caleb Williams’ Easy Transition to Chicago Bears Can Impact His NFL Career

Hence, the advice from Hairston might be a direct jibe at Johnson’s comment since both of them know that the responsibility of the Bears majorly rests on Caleb Williams’ shoulders now. “At the end of the day, we want him to be the absolute best he can be. That’s what we’re bringing him in for, to win games,” Johnson later added as he wrapped his criticism up. What will the Bears locker room be like for Caleb Williams? Drop your thoughts down in the comments.

READ MORE: Caleb Williams Slapped With Harsh Reality of NFL After Jaylon Johnson Urges USC QB to Prove Himself