Bears Do Caleb Williams a Solid With Latest Signing

It's always important for a team to keep its franchise quarterback history when it comes to finding long-term success. That's exactly why the Chicago Bears have done everything in their power to make Caleb Williams feel comfortable in the Windy City after drafting the new face of the franchise first overall last month.

The Bears have already excelled at surrounding Williams with elite talent in the former of veteran wideouts Keenan Allen and DJ Moore. That's without mentioning how they also drafted former Washington playmaker Rome Odunze just eight picks after selecting the ex-Trojan.

Fast forward to Monday when the Bears continued to appease Williams by signing one of his long-time friends to a contract.

Bears Sign WR John Jackson

Bears insider Jacob Infante announced that Chicago has signed several players from its rookie minicamp roster, including wide receiver John Jackson III. Jackson spent four of his five college seasons at USC, playing with Williams in 2022, before transferring to Nevada for the 2023 campaign.

Jackson isn't the only pass-catcher that the Bears signed on Monday. They also added veteran WR Freddie Swain, as well as tight end Tommy Sweeney.

Nevertheless, Jackson's official signing comes two weeks after SB Nation's Aaron Leming reported that the Bears had already signed him as an undrafted free agent.

Jackson spent the majority of his NCAAF run playing in backup role with the Trojans. Despite suiting up for 13 games during the 2022 campaign, the rookie WR only caught a three-yard pass from Williams, ending his USC run tenure with five catches for 42 receiving yards without a touchdown across 29 games.

Nevertheless, Jackson proved that he was capable of more in his lone season at Nevada. While his statistics don't jump off the page, the fact that he recorded 267 receiving yards on 35 catches shows that he could potentially be a WR5/6 or even a special teams contributor at the NFL level.

Even if Jackson doesn't make the final 53-man roster, the fact that the Bears signed him following his tryout should earn them respect in Williams' eyes. It's a move that shows that they're willing to do right by the promising QB, which could influence his decision to stay in Chicago once his rookie contract ends.

Hopefully, Jackson finds a way to prove that he belongs in the NFL and isn't only getting this opportunity because of his best friend. As great as it must be for Williams to have Jackson around, the NFL is a business at the end of the day and the Bears only need players who can contribute to winning football games.

Fortunately, it looks like Chicago is on the right path to winning when it comes to next season. FanDuel Sportsbook is currently favoring the Bears to return to the NFL playoffs (-130) for the first time since the 2020 campaign.

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