EXCLUSIVE
Caleb Williams v Jayden Daniels debate will rage, but Chicago Bears know exactly what they have with No 1 pick
The Chicago Bears are gearing up for war against the Jacksonville Jaguars in north London this weekend.
And their No 1 draft pick could prove the difference.
3
Much of the early-season debate has been around their man, quarterback Caleb Williams, and his rookie rival Jayden Daniels.
Daniels has been so good through week 5, in fact, that there is a legitimate debate over his MVP credentials.
He has led the Washington Commanders to the top of the NFC East, and his 77.1 completion percentage has produced four consecutive victories, turning his team into the NFL's early season surprise.
Daniels has been spectacular so far, but Williams is showing signs of life in Chicago.
MORE FROM NFL
The Bears have picked up back-to-back victories against the Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Rams, and they arrive in London as favourites to down the Jaguars.
The young quarterback has 20 quarters of football under his belt, and the comparison makes for interesting reading.
Through his first 10 quarters of action he registered a 57% pass completion percentage, averaged 5.2 yards per attempt and no touchdowns to go with three interceptions.
His last 10 have seen those numbers jump to a 70.1% pass completion, 7.9 yards per attempt and five touchdowns to go with just one interception.
Most read in NFL
Regardless of what unfolds in the coming weeks, the debate between fans and analysts alike will rage on: Who should have been drafted first, Williams or Daniels?
But Bears head coach Matt Eberflus has no doubts in his mind. Caleb is their guy, and he's only going to get better.
3
"He's done everything we asked. He's always leveled up to all challenges that we've asked him to do. And he's just improving every single week," Eberflus told talkSPORT.
"He's got the talent to really be excellent in this league. And he's just learning his way. We're finding our winning formula as we go through this process.
"It changes every week. And we're going to have adversity. We're going to have moments where we're doing really well. We've got to have learning moments and really process what we go through, good, bad, or indifferent."
Pressed on why Chicago picked Williams at No1, Eberflus was in no doubt about why the USC star always had the edge..
"Jayden's a really good talent. He can really throw the ball. He's very mobile. He can scramble to run or scramble to throw," the Bears HC admitted.
"You've seen what he's done so far this year - very accurate. I certainly liked a lot of things about him, but we just thought that Caleb had the stuff that we were looking for.
"It's just to each his own, right? It's really just what we were looking for and we're glad we have Caleb."
In Williams, there is little doubt that the Bears have a star on their hands. It would be fair to describe him as Chicago's main draw, and UK fans will have the opportunity to watch him in the flesh this weekend.
The 22-year-old quarterback has been tipped to drive his team to future glory, but if the wins keep coming, it will be down to far more than one man's performance.
3
In the Bears, Eberflus believes he is building a team with a trait that separates them from the rest, which will allow his players to pull together in tough times.
"We're kind of unique because we spend a lot of time with each other," he said.
"So we spend a lot of time outside the building. It could be at my house, having food trucks at my house, doing games or whatever that is, competition games.
"We had a golf theme this year where we all learned how to play golf, taught the players how to play. Then we had a big function at a golf course.
Read More on talkSPORT
"We're always doing those things and spending time with each other. If you have that, when adversity hits, you guys will pull together rather than pulling apart because you know somebody personally."
Watch the full exclusive interview below and join talkSPORT2 from 1pm on Sunday for live coverage of the Chicago Bears against the Jacksonville Jaguars
Topics