Caleb Williams attends first Cubs game as Bears QB, receives standing ovation
For the first time since the Chicago Bears selected him in the 2024 NFL Draft, Caleb Williams went to a Cubs game. The former USC star joined some of his new teammates at Wrigley Field – and he received a warm welcome.
Williams received a standing ovation from the Wrigley faithful as the Cubs took on the division rival Milwaukee Brewers. He was in a suite alongside Keenan Allen, D.J. Moore and Cole Kmet, among others, taking in a Saturday game at the Friendly Confines.
When the cameras caught him, Williams was also doing his “Bear Claw” pose, which the fan base is also embracing.
A week removed from the draft, Williams and his fellow draftees – including wide receiver Rome Odunze, who went shortly after him as the No. 9 overall pick – are turning their attention to rookie mini camp, which runs May 10-11. Chicago will then get ready for OTAs and, in late July, start training camp.
Could Caleb Williams the Bears be on ‘Hard Knocks?’
The excitement continues to build around Chicago after the Bears selected Williams with the No. 1 overall pick, which came from the Carolina Panthers as part of last year’s trade. It also begs the question of whether the NFL could select the franchise for Hard Knocks. After all, the Bears are one of three franchises who could be told to participate in the HBO docuseries.
General manager Ryan Poles spoke about that possibility earlier this week and while he has yet to hear anything about the show coming to Chicago, he said the franchise would be ready for whichever decision the league makes.
“I have not heard. It wouldn’t surprise me either way,” Poles said Tuesday on The Waddle and Silvy Show on ESPN 1000 in Chicago. “In terms of being in favor for, there are some distractions that come along with it. But it’s one of those things that what you learn in this league, you just adjust and adapt to whatever shows up.
“So if it’s here, we’ll roll. If it’s not, we’ll just keep it moving. But we’ll see.”
At the very least, Bears fans are sure to pay close attention to the offseason programs as Williams settles in. The hope is he will – at long last – be the franchise quarterback they’ve been hoping to see. Between the additions of Allen and D’Andre Swift to an offensive core that already had Moore and Kmet, there are plenty of reasons for Chicago fans to have hope the team finally struck gold in the draft.