Matt Eberflus on Caleb Williams – He has the “love and respect” of his teammates

Orlando. FLORIDA — Chicago Bears coach Matt Eberflus' biggest takeaway after watching Caleb Williams throw at USC's pro day is focusing on a key aspect behind what makes a quarterback the presumptive No. 1 pick in the draft.

“You can see the arm talent on film, and you can see it in person,” Eberflus said Tuesday at NFL combine.

But perhaps what made the biggest impression on the Bears coach was how Williams interacted with his teammates at a dinner hosted by Chicago for the quarterback and his receivers and during on-field drills.

“What I liked to see was the interaction with the other players,” Eberflus said. “You could see it, we talked to everyone who was on that team. At the Senior Bowl we interviewed them and we interviewed them at the pro day. We talked to those guys at dinner, and you could definitely see those players loved him and respected him and what he brought to this program.”

Eberflus spent about 80 minutes one-on-one with Williams in Los Angeles to learn more about the quarterback he is expected to guide during his rookie season in 2024. Revealing Williams' football acumen and the path he took to become a Heisman Trophy winner and top quarterback prospect left a strong impression.

“It's just me and him in the room together, just hearing his journey,” Eberflus said. “His journey, since he was a little kid. What I took away from that is how much his mom and dad love him so much. Very supportive. You can see his personality, his football personality there, his football knowledge as I talk through it. It was a really good visit.”

The Bears sent a nine-man squad to USC's pro day, which also included offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and quarterbacks coach Kerry Joseph. When Williams visits Halas Hall next week, he'll get a chance to meet with offensive coaches who didn't make the trip to Los Angeles as the Bears continue to teach their quarterback their offense.

Testing Williams' recall and ability to process the information given to him and relay it back is one of the final boxes the Bears will check in their evaluation of the QB.

“He was cool that way,” Eberflus said. “Again, spend more time visiting him. He'll get a chance to spend some time with the offensive staff that wasn't there at the pro day. It'll be good.”

Williams is also expected to be evaluated by Bears team doctors after refusing to undergo an NFL medical last month.