Caleb Williams drew comparisons to Patrick Mahomes long before the Chicago Bears made him the No. 1 pick in this year's NFL draft. Miami Dolphins star Tyreek Hill became the latest to tease the similarities on Saturday, fresh off Williams' splashy preseason outing with the Bears. And yet Williams isn't giving the lofty praise much attention, directly downplaying the parallels to Mahomes on Saturday night.
"It's respect," Williams told reporters of the discussion. "It's cool and all, but I'm Caleb Williams. Patrick Mahomes is Patrick Mahomes. Tyreek Hill is Tyreek Hill. Much love to them and things like that -- I've met 'em, talked to 'em both, things like that -- but we're here to win games for the Chicago Bears. Da Bears."
Mahomes, of course, is already on track to be considered one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game, seeking his fourth Super Bowl win in just his seventh season as a starter. Williams has yet to take a regular-season snap. And yet the latter has captivated Chicago -- and plenty beyond -- with a colorful start to his rookie preseason, flashing big-play -- dare we say Mahomes-esque -- freestyling in back-to-back wins.
The fact Williams won't publicly embrace the comparison to the Kansas City Chiefs star is probably just as encouraging for Bears fans, who already have high expectations for the USC product in 2024.