Caleb Williams wasn't exactly dreaming about life in Chicago when the Bears made him the No. 1 overall pick. Two years later, his feelings about the city sound considerably different.
Caleb Williams didn't expect to love Chicago
During an appearance on Hot Ones, host Sean Evans asked Williams if anything about Chicago surprised him after he arrived.
Williams gave an answer Bears fans probably weren't expecting.
"I didn't think I was gonna like it that much, to be honest," Williams said. "And I fell in love with the city of Chicago, the people, the food, obviously the sports and things like that."
That first sentence could probably cause a few heart palpitations around Chicago if somebody conveniently stopped the clip there.
Fortunately, Williams kept talking.
The Bears quarterback specifically pointed toward the people as the biggest reason his perception changed. Williams said he has made friends with other athletes in the city along with people who grew up there, giving him a much different look at Chicago than he had before arriving.
"The people, I would say, is the biggest thing," Williams said. "I didn't realize that the people were so hospitable."
He even offered another observation that might spark a debate among Chicago residents.
"Chicago's actually insanely clean," Williams said. "So it's surprising. Surprised me. That surprised me."
Williams is becoming part of Chicago
Winning tends to make the relationship between a quarterback and his city considerably easier.
Williams arrived carrying expectations that would have buried plenty of young quarterbacks. Chicago has spent generations searching for a long term answer at the position, and every promising Bears quarterback inevitably gets compared to everyone who failed before him.
Williams has started changing that conversation.
There is also something different about hearing the quarterback talk about actually enjoying the city instead of simply offering the standard lines about great fans and great restaurants. Williams openly admitted his expectations weren't particularly high. Chicago won him over anyway.
The feeling appears to be mutual.
Williams' Hot Ones appearance had generated more than 1.5 million views within days of its release, and many of the most popular comments came from Bears fans celebrating their quarterback.
That relationship will ultimately be defined by what happens on Sundays. Quarterbacks in Chicago don't get statues because they enjoyed the food.
Still, Williams is no longer simply the quarterback the Bears drafted and handed the franchise to.
Chicago is starting to feel like home.
Considering Williams wasn't even sure he would like the place, that's quite a turnaround.
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