The Chicago Bears believe they've found their franchise quarterback.
In what had been expected for months, the Bears selected Southern California's Caleb Williams with the first overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft on Thursday.
Williams had widely been viewed as a generational quarterback and the most complete QB prospect in decades.
He now arrives in Chicago to take over a franchise that has been starving for an elite signal-caller.
He joins the Bears after staring at USC, where he won the 2022 Heisman Trophy as the top collegiate player in the United States.
After throwing for 4,537 yards with 42 touchdowns and five interceptions in 14 games in 2022, he threw for 3,633 yards with 30 TDs and five picks in 12 games last year.
In his two seasons with the Trojans, he completed 67.5 per cent of his passes and averaged 9.20 yards per attempt.
Williams is the total package – possessing exceptional arm strength and overall athleticism, able to make plays with his arm and his legs. Groomed from a young age to be pro quarterback, Williams processes opposing defences at a high level, making good decisions with his reads and throwing an accurate, deep ball.
The Bears had zeroed in on Williams after meeting with him in Los Angeles in March, followed by his visit to Chicago's practice facility earlier this month. The Bears were the only NFL team Williams visited, and the only quarterback Chicago hosted, making it blatantly obvious the team was going to draft him first.
The Bears also made it clear they were in the market for a quarterback after trading Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers in mid-March.
Fields was the 11th overall pick of the 2021 draft, and though he was well liked by his team-mates and the fanbase and had the ability for dazzling, highlight-reel plays, he was an uneven passer and was unable to elevate Chicago's offence.
The Bears ranked 27th in passing offence with an average of 182.1 yards per game in 2023, while going 7-10.
Williams steps into a solid situation with Chicago, as he'll team with new running back D'Andre Swift, a pair of proven wide receivers in DJ Moore and off-season pickup Keenan Allen, and has the luxury of joining a team with a formidable defence.
The Bears' trade for Moore last off-season helped the franchise draft first overall for the first time since 1947.
Chicago traded away last year's top pick to the Carolina Panthers for Moore and four draft picks – one of which turned out to be the No. 1 pick they used to draft Williams.
Rees-Zammit relishing Mahomes advice as former rugby star eyes spot on Chiefs roster
Louis Rees-Zammit has likened Patrick Mahomes to an extra coach as he looks to make an impact in the NFL with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Rees-Zammit shocked rugby union fans in January when he announced he was turning his back on the sport to enter the NFL's International Player Pathway programme.
He was signed by two-time defending Super Bowl champions Kansas City in March and is now looking to earn a place on their roster for 2024, learning the role of running back at the Chiefs' rookie minicamp after attending another training camp alongside Mahomes.
Rees-Zammit has made sure to pick the brains of Mahomes, who has led the Chiefs to six straight AFC Championship games and won three Super Bowl rings since being drafted in 2017.
"It was amazing, all the quarterbacks and receivers were there, we were running routes, we were working in the gym", Rees-Zammit said of his experience at that camp in Texas.
"It was a great two weeks, I definitely learned a lot with Pat and the other boys."
Asked if Mahomes was acting like an extra coach, he said: "100 per cent.
"I'm new to the game so I'm trying to pick everyone's brains and try and pick up the sport as quick as possible because I want to be out there playing.
"The way I can do that is picking the brains of everyone that's currently here and trying to learn the game as quickly as possible."
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has been impressed by Rees-Zammit's attitude, saying: "He's so diligent with everything and wants to be so good at everything. I appreciate that.
"I like the fact he's got shorter steps initially, that's a good thing as a running back. If you're a long strider in there you've got to really work on making it through those tight adjustments you have to make. He seems to have a nice feel."
Beckham Jr. signs one-year deal with Miami Dolphins
Odell Beckham Jr. has agreed a one-year deal with the Miami Dolphins as the three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver prepares for a spell with a fifth different NFL side.
Beckham will bolster an impressive Miami offense as he unites with fellow receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.
That move will be welcomed by Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa after Beckham signed a contract worth up to $8.25million, according to widespread reports.
Since enjoying four years at the New York Giants, Beckham has fleeted between three rosters – the Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Rams and Baltimore Ravens – in as many years but appeared in just 28 games.
His arrival will add further fuel to Miami's NFL charge, having threatened Super Bowl potential before an injury-hit Dolphins were eliminated last season by the eventual champion Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs.
Beckham is no stranger to disappointment against the Chiefs, however, after playing a part in the Ravens team that went 13-4 before losing to Kansas City last year.
The 31-year-old, who was impacted by an ankle injury in 2023, produced 35 catches for 565 yards and three touchdowns last campaign before being released by the Ravens earlier this offseason.
Miami will hope Beckham can find his previous consistency, too, after struggling and posting eight games with two or fewer catches in the regular season for Baltimore.
Managing just four grabs for 34 yards combined in the Ravens' two postseason games, Beckham – a Super Bowl champion in 2021 with the Rams – may wish for better fortunes with the Dolphins.
Whether Beckham can rediscover his old form or not, the veteran wideout is en route to Miami as the latest addition to Mike McDaniel's fearsome Dolphins attack.
Travis Kelce never considered holding out on Chiefs extension
Travis Kelce says he never considered holding out on signing a contract extension with the Kansas City Chiefs in order to secure a better deal.
Earlier this week, Kelce agreed a two-year, $34.25million extension with the Chiefs, who have made him the highest-paid tight end in the NFL.
Kelce has played a key role in helping the Chiefs reach six straight AFC Championship games, winning the last two en route to claiming back-to-back Super Bowl crowns.
As a result of his public relationship with American pop icon Taylor Swift, he has also emerged as perhaps the most high-profile player in the league during the last year.
Kelce was already under contract in Kansas City through 2025, so his new deal will keep him at Arrowhead Stadium through 2027.
Speaking on his 'New Heights' podcast alongside brother Jason Kelce, he said he never considered threatening a contract holdout to bump up his salary.
"I'm not a guy that sits out," Kelce said. "I'm not a guy that holds out. I'm a guy that loves coming into the building, and the Chiefs know that.
"So, for them to want to get this done for me, knowing how much blood, sweat and tears that I put into this thing, I'm extremely grateful.
"I'm so excited and so thankful to this organization for getting it done, for making me feel appreciated and compensated the right way, and I've got to move the needle for the tight end room."
Kelce, who was taken by the Chiefs in the third round of the 2013 draft, is Kansas City's all-time leader in receiving yards with 11,328 yards, while ranking second in receptions (907) and second in receiving touchdowns (74).
He is just 10 catches away from passing Tony Gonzalez as the franchise's all-time leader in receptions and three TD catches away from surpassing Gonzalez's record in that category.
He is not the only player to commit his long-term future to the Chiefs recently, with defensive tackle Chris Jones penning a bumper new deal in March and quarterback Patrick Mahomes getting a pay rise last Autumn.
Kelce believes that bodes well for the future, adding: "We got the nucleus together and paid, baby. Everybody got paid this offseason. I love it."
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