Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles understands that finally answering the generational management conundrum comes with a double-edged sword: Eventually, the Bears will have to pay Caleb Williams.
The Bears GM said this week at the NFL Scouting Combine that he’s planning for the next few years.
“I hope eventually there will be a quarterback as well, because we have to pay a young quarterback,” he said, via the Chicago Sun-Times . “We are getting closer and closer to clarity on that side of the issue.
While the Bears’ last two first-round quarterbacks — Justin Fields and Mitchell Trubisky — bottomed out before reaching the point of a second contract, Williams’ first season under Ben Johnson showed tremendous promise that he wouldn’t wither like previous Chicago recruits. However, the Poles know there are parts of Caleb’s game that he must improve, including becoming more consistent down to down.
“I want to be clear: Anyone who’s followed the league long enough knows that for a quarterback, it’s stability,” the Poles said. “Can you stack years on top of each other? We still have a step to take. I don’t want to make it like he’s already [there]. He knows he has work to do.
“But if all of that falls into place, we have to understand how it changes our formula going forward. It’s great to be on that path. I feel like we have a long-term quarterback solution. That makes me excited.”
Since the rookie salary cap was implemented, teams have tried to take advantage of quarterbacks on good deals. It’s a balance between spending big in the here-and-now and saving for the future when the QB bill comes due.
Williams will make just $10.8 million this season and $12.6 million in 2027. The Bears would then have the fifth-year option and multiple franchise tags at their disposal if a long-term deal isn’t reached. There are now 16 quarterbacks averaging $40-plus million, with Dak Prescott topping the league at $60 million per year.
2024 No. The key for GM is to take advantage of Williams’ current trade numbers while not being tied down by long-term contracts.
“Financially, you can field the best team when that quarterback isn’t taking up a big chunk of the cap,” Poles said.
The duality makes this offseason a key one for the Pole. He did an impressive job of revamping the offensive line last year, adding players to Johnson’s offense throughout the draft. Right now, he has a number of veterans on the defense that are hitting the market and have glaring holes on that side of the ball. The structure of any splash spending must be in the context of Williams’ future contract.
Taking advantage of Williams’ rookie contract is key, but simply having a potential long-term playmaker in the backfield worth having this conversation about brings a refreshing atmosphere to Chicago.