The Chicago Bears' main focus this offseason has been rebuilding their trenches, trying to imitate what helped the Philadelphia Eagles win the Super Bowl.
Offensively, the Bears acquired three new starters via trades and free agency. These additions include Joe Thuney, Jonah Jackson, and Drew Dalman. On the defensive side of the ball, Chicago brought in veteran defensive tackle Grady Jarrett and defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo, a young player with plenty of upside.
That said, they have also added depth at center and wide receiver. Chicago has added Devin Duvernay and Olamide Zaccheaus to their wideout room. While Duvernay's main duties will be as a returner, Zaccheaus will slot in as the No. 3 receiver. As a result, Zacchaeus will be working to help Caleb Williams in his development.
Fortunately, the 27-year-old has experience helping young quarterbacks as he has played with Jalen Hurts and Jayden Daniels over the past two seasons. Both Hurts and Daniels are young, ascending franchise quarterbacks, which is what the Bears hope they have in Williams.
During his introductory press conference, Zacchaeus spoke about the advice he would give Williams based on these experiences. According to Khan Thompson of Windy City Gridiron, Zacchaeus said, " The biggest thing, I think, is just the mental aspect of it for any young quarterback, especially Caleb.” He added, "He (Caleb Williams) has all the talent that you need to be a top-tier quarterback in the league. A lot of it’s just going to be the mental aspect of it and kind of just slowing the game down."
Olamide Zaccheaus Shares His Words of Wisdom for Caleb Williams
Zaccheaus's asserting that Willaims needs to improve the mental aspect of his game is spot on. For instance, on the fateful drive that got Matt Eberflus fired on the Friday after Thanksgiving last year, Willaims could have done things differently. First off, he could have called the timeout instead of calling an audible on the play.
Sure, he was a rookie and apparently didn't have the ability to call a timeout in that situation, but as a franchise quarterback, you need to take matters into your own hands sometimes. Moreover, at multiple points last season, Williams looked overwhelmed at the line of scrimmage. However, the hope is with a better play-caller in Ben Johnson, that won't happen anymore.
Despite Williams needing to improve on the mental aspect of his game, Zaccheaus believes in the talent of his new quarterback. Zaccheaus's confidence and experience with young quarterbacks should excite Bears fans for what's to come in 2025.