Caleb Williams would love to see fellow rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels return from his rib injury to play for the Washington Commanders on Sunday at Northwest Stadium.
But the Chicago Bears QB also isn’t paying much attention to the outside hype that would come if the Nos. 1 and 2 picks in the 2024 draft both lead their teams onto the field this weekend.
“My job is to go win games on Thursdays, Sundays and Mondays. That’s it,” Williams said when asked about all the storylines around the matchup.
Whether the game will feature both Williams and Daniels remains to be seen.
Daniels, who injured his rib Sunday against the Carolina Panthers, didn’t practice Wednesday, and coach Dan Quinn said the quarterback would continue to receive treatment and be evaluated as the week goes on.
Veteran quarterback Marcus Mariota, who threw for 205 yards and two touchdowns in the Commanders’ 40-7 win last week, took first-team reps and spoke with reporters at the usual quarterback news conference Wednesday. Quinn expects to provide a further update on Daniels after practice Friday.
“I want to make sure he can fully express himself and do all the things he does, which makes him so unique and special,” Quinn said. “That will be the key going through the week, that he can be him, fully turned up.”
For the record, Williams said he hopes Daniels plays.
“Obviously you don’t wish to see good and great players down, not in games,” Williams said. “It only makes the game better (to have him).”
Williams keeps tabs on other quarterbacks and said it has been cool watching Daniels’ progress from Arizona State to LSU to the pros under offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, who also helped coach Williams at USC.
Daniels has completed 75.6% of his passes for 1,410 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions and also run for 372 yards and four touchdowns.
“Happy for him and great to see him balling out,” Williams said.
The two are naturally linked since the Bears picked Williams No. 1 in the draft this spring and the Commanders picked Daniels No. 2. Williams won the Heisman Trophy at USC in 2022, and Daniels won it at LSU in 2023. Both teams did extensive research on both players.
And now the quarterbacks are off to strong rookie starts, with Williams finding a “flow” to throw for 1,317 yards, nine touchdowns and five interceptions and running for 169 yards. The Commanders enter the game 5-2, and the Bears are 4-2.
Williams acknowledged that connection and said he imagines they’ll meet again often throughout their careers. But he also downplayed how it will affect him Sunday.
“It’s going to be great for us, and the battle between us is what y’all (in the media) want to kind of talk about,” Williams said. “But my job is to go out there and win the game for the Chicago Bears.”
Likewise, Quinn said he doesn’t see the matchup against Williams as providing extra motivation for Daniels to get healthy.
“Anybody, anywhere, anytime is really the mindset for him,” Quinn said. “At his core, that’s one of the things I really admire about him — his readiness, his wanting to go prove it. … They’re not playing against one another. It’s about him and the readiness to get ready and help our team.”
Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze said he knows Williams goes at every game with the attitude of giving it his best and staying locked in on the assignment. But Odunze doesn’t mind the hype of such a game.
“I like to embrace it,” Odunze said. “You only get a certain amount of games like this a year with this type of atmosphere, so just embracing it and living for the moment is the best way I like to attack it.”
If Daniels doesn’t play, the game still has some relevant storylines for Williams.
Williams grew up in Bowie and Upper Marlboro, Md., and he lived in Washington D.C. so he could attend Gonzaga College High School.
Williams said he has been back only once or twice since he left, but he is expecting a big group of supporters at Northwest Stadium. He already has used up his ticket allotment and said “from there I’ve got to figure it out.”
“Being able to go back and share that experience is going to be great, is going to be fun,” Williams said. “And to come out with a win is going to be most important.”
Williams also will meet again with Kingsbury, who was on the USC staff as a senior offensive assistant for Williams’ final college season and who interviewed for the Bears OC opening with coach Matt Eberflus last winter.
Williams said Kingsbury, who coached former No. 1 pick Kyler Murray for four seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, gave him advice to help him prepare for the NFL
“He could give me great feedback on this next level that I knew that I was probably heading to at that time,” Williams said. “That was big for me being able to listen to him and obviously build a relationship with him knowing the QBs he’s been around and similarities in some of the offenses that I’ve been in. … It was great to have those moments with him. I think it’s helped me for these moments now.”
Injury report: The Bears welcomed several injured players back to practice Wednesday. Cornerbacks Tyrique Stevenson (calf) and Terell Smith (hip) and defensive tackle Zacch Pickens (groin) were limited, and long snapper Scott Daly (knee) participated in full.
The Bears also opened up the 21-day practice window for offensive tackle Larry Borom (ankle) and running back Travis Homer (finger) to return from injured reserve.
However, safety Jaquan Brisker (concussion) and nickel Kyler Gordon (hamstring) remain out. Brisker has been in concussion protocol since Oct. 7.
“I always have concern with anyone that’s in concussion (protocol),” Eberflus said. “It’s a big injury. It’s something that you’ve got to be very careful about, and our guys do a great job with those guys working through the protocol. That’s why it’s in place, and that’s why the NFL has instituted that.”
