Bears WRs: Caleb Williams is a Troublemaker

It’s fascinating to observe the shift in the attitudes of the Chicago Bears wide receivers since Caleb Williams joined the team. Initially, D.J. Moore, a strong supporter of Justin Fields, was doubtful about the need for a new quarterback and skeptical of the team’s top draft pick. Keenan Allen, traded to the Bears in March, was uncertain about his place after playing alongside elite quarterbacks like Philip Rivers and Justin Herbert throughout his career. However, in just a few months, both have become ardent supporters of Williams.

Moore quickly secured a four-year contract extension despite having two years left on his current deal, while Allen has also ramped up his efforts to negotiate an extension. This clearly signals their desire to remain with the team and support the young quarterback’s development. However, they’ve also come to realize that Williams can be something of a provocateur. In an interview with Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune, Williams mentioned that he often finds subtle ways to challenge and tease his teammates’ egos as a means of building connections and asserting his leadership.

It’s getting around them, hanging around them. That helps me. Whether it’s, “How do you like this (ball) thrown? How do you like that thrown?” I’ve asked them questions about their life, questions about how they’ve grown up, questions about their family. It’s things like that. Just getting to know them on that level, I think, helps tremendously.Then there may be times where I’m not trying to necessarily push their buttons to be mad at me. But, like, I may send Rome (Odunze) a text message of things people have said about him. And he’ll remember. He’ll doc it down and remember that. I’ll talk a little trash to Keenan to get him going. It’s just small things like that. Getting to know your guys helps and leads in a tremendous way.