Can Caleb Williams become the Bears' first 4,000-yard passer as a rookie?

The Chicago Bears are one of the most exciting teams in the NFL heading into the 2024 season, and there were a focal point during the Hall of Fame game on Thursday night.

During the broadcast of Chicago's 21-17 win, announcers Joe Buck and Troy Aikman had a lot of nice things to say about the Bears, which hasn't always been the case for national media

Part of the discussion revolved around rookie quarterback Caleb Williams. He didn't play in the game, but the No. 1 overall pick remained a hot topic of conversation. If he plays well, the belief is that Chicago has a roster good enough to compete for a playoff spot.

As far as individual accomplishments go, Aikman believes that Williams will do something that has never happened in the history of the Bears franchise: Throw for 4,000-plus yards. That is, assuming Williams stays healthy.

Those are lofty expectations for a rookie quarterback before he ever played a single down in the NFL. Very few quarterbacks have come in and dominated like that right away. A rookie doing that is rare. A Chicago quarterback doing that has never happened.

But it wouldn't be anything new for Williams, who threw for 4,537 yards in 14 games during his Heisman campaign in 2022. Last season, Williams fell a few hundred yards short (3,633 yards) in 12 games.

If the Bears can get that out of Williams in Year 1, after never seeing it before from anyone, they will know that they have something truly special in him. With great weapons around him, there is a chance that Williams will do this.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Can rookie Caleb Williams become the Bears' first 4,000-yard passer?