LAKE FOREST, In poor health. — The Chicago Bears named eight captains for the 2024 season Monday, together with rookie quarterback Caleb Williams.
The choice course of for workforce captains has traditionally been based mostly on participant voting. The No. 1 draft decide is the primary rookie to earn the excellence since Bears coach Matt Eberflus was employed in 2022 and is believed to be the one first-year participant in franchise historical past to be named a season-long captain for the reason that workforce formally started appointing them in 2007.
“If you come to work on daily basis like he did, and undergo the issues that he needed to develop by means of, particularly towards the protection, and also you see the work that he was placing in day in and day trip, I imply you’ll be able to’t do something however respect that and need him to be a captain for you,” vast receiver DJ Moore stated.
Williams’ management has been a sizzling matter all through the offseason after the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner changed quarterback Justin Fields, who was traded to Pittsburgh in March. The rookie’s skill to win over the locker room since arriving in Could is among the many highlights of his early Bears profession for common supervisor Ryan Poles.
“It is pretty pure,” Poles famous of Williams’ management. “It isn’t compelled. We have all been in groups earlier than, however like there’s those that come into these conditions and so they strive too arduous. It is like, man, it is awkward. It is arduous to purchase into that. Then there’s guys that they will navigate that so naturally as a result of they’re genuine and it is actual, and that is what he is completed. Then on prime of that, simply as an expert participant, you must carry out, you must do some issues that guys are like, ‘OK, there’s one thing completely different about you.’ After which pair that with an excellent pure, simply good social expertise, some cool issues occur after which management begins to blossom and that is what you see now.”
Williams, 22, is among the many youngest on the Bears roster to be named captain, whereas 40-year-old tight finish Marcedes Lewis is the oldest. Moore, tight finish Cole Kmet, linebackers T.J. Edwards and Tremaine Edmunds, cornerback Jaylon Johnson and security Kevin Byard III have been additionally chosen.
“I do know it is a bigger group than we’re used to, however we have now an even bigger group of management now than we have had these couple years underneath our belt,” Eberflus stated. “And now we bought this third 12 months going so I actually really feel robust about these guys, and so they know the primary rule of management is main themselves and being the instance we need to see by way of work ethic, by way of management, by way of standing up when you must converse. However principally lead by your actions.”
Eberflus stated he didn’t know whether or not the Bears would proceed to call an honorary captain every week, as he had throughout his first two seasons in Chicago. Williams is the primary rookie captain Eberflus has coached in 16 NFL seasons.
“I had it with offense and protection, and had the blokes rank these guys and [Williams] got here out actually excessive,” he stated. “All these guys did. That is what’s nice about it. And we had different guys that had nice votes, too, simply not sufficient to get into that captain’s vote. However that is a very good signal that he is bought management all through all the workforce.”
