Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams offered something of an endorsement of one potential head coaching candidate as the team prepares for its search.
Williams was asked about the potential of Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury emerging as a head coaching candidate for the Bears. Kingsbury served as an offensive analyst at USC for one year while Williams was there, so the pair have a pre-existing relationship, and Williams certainly sounded supportive of Kingsbury getting a look.
“I’ve been around Kliff. I know what type of guy he is,” Williams told reporters Thursday. “I know that he loves football. I know that he wants to win. He’s a competitor, and so, in many different aspects that I was just speaking about, I’ve been around him. So I would say that being around him, knowing him, asking him questions and things like that, I think obviously if he was here I’d probably have more to say. But I think he fits a bunch of those qualities that I said.”
FWIW, Caleb Williams was asked by Chicago media on Wednesday about the traits he values in a coach and Kingsbury's candidacy:https://t.co/ifWlVysm1U pic.twitter.com/n0T0wUT6kQ
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) January 2, 2025
Williams had said he wants the next Bears coach to challenge him, maintain discipline, and bring in a winning culture. The rookie quarterback believes Kingsbury can do that, and previous reports have suggested he could get a look for the position.
The Bears’ hire will be tremendously important. It could dictate whether Williams ultimately turns out to be a success as a franchise quarterback. Listening to his thoughts on the hire might be a good idea, though it sounds like the Bears will have multiple quality candidates to look at. Kingsbury is highly unlikely to be the only name Williams would have praise for.
Kingsbury went 28-37-1 in his only NFL head coaching stint, spending four years with the Arizona Cardinals. He did help develop Kyler Murray, so there is precedent for him turning a young quarterback into a franchise player.
