Usually, a No. 1 overall pick quarterback enters a dumpster fire with the expectation of growing into a superhero on the fly. That makes sense because the team that almost always owns the No. 1 overall was the worst in the NFL the previous season. But that’s not the case for the 7-10 Bears, who sit at No. 1 overall thanks to a fortuitous trade with the Carolina Panthers. (Chicago’s own draft pick sits at No. 9).

While they still have roster holes and places that need tinkering like anyone, the Bears actually have a very healthy situation with a strong nucleus — one that a top-pick quarterback rarely gets to enjoy from the jump. 

On offense, there are two No. 1 caliber receivers in D.J. Moore and Keenan Allen. Cole Kmet and Gerald Everett comprise one of the better 1-2 punches at tight end. D’Andre Swift and Khalil Herbert are a well-balanced running back duo. Even Chicago’s offense line looks promising, thanks to building blocks like right tackle Darnell Wright and left guard Teven Jenkins. Lest I forget, Shane Waldron — a guy who helped Geno Smith and Drew Lock look serviceable — is the offensive coordinator.

On defense, Pro Bowl defensive end Montez Sweat and Second-Team All-Pro cornerback Jaylon Johnson lead the way. There’s T.J. Edwards and Tremaine Edmunds presenting an upper-crust linebacker pair. And there’s a glut of potential young foundational pieces like cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, safety Jaquan Brisker, and defensive tackle Gervon Dexter. 

What this presents is a golden opportunity for Williams’ development. The Bears usually throw a young quarterback into the pool, telling them to sink or swim without mercy. It’s why they have failed so often with this position. In Williams’ case, he won’t be asked to do everything from the jump, and he’ll actually have capable teammates who can support him and even make him look better. 

I could be wrong, but I find it really hard to believe there was a better situation for a No. 1 overall pick NFL signal-caller in the past.

One of the things I like the most about Williams is how willing he is to unabashedly express himself. He is clearly not beholden to some picture-perfect, curated image of a “generational” quarterback. This sort of approach is so refreshing compared to what we usually see from cookie-cutter passers afraid to lean into anything but a mindset about “trying hard” and “loving the game” without a hint of personality.

If Williams wants to be emotional with his family after a tough loss for his team, he’s not going to hesitate, regardless of the camera presence. If he says he’s not lingering on a defeat and letting it ruin his day, he means it. There are bigger things in life than football, and he’ll focus on the game when the time calls for it. There’s no point in dwelling. If he wants to take full advantage of being a GQ cover model or paint his nails in appreciation of his mother (who works at a nail salon), in turn challenging traditional ideas of masculinity as a “macho” quarterback, he’ll do it without thinking.

What’s crucial here is that Williams very obviously doesn’t let outside opinion, which can be toxic, influence how he sees himself. This will be pivotal while playing as arguably the most famous and important athlete in Chicago. There is a certain air of expectation (and desperation) when it comes to being the quarterback of the Bears. Speaking as a native Chicagoan, we have been waiting for a true franchise quarterback for a long time, making the search for one become all the more strung-out as we micro-analyze every single move of the current starter. I’m not saying this mentality is healthy; it’s just reality. It’s also why, for my money, there is no harder position to play in professional sports than quarterback for the Bears.

How we treat Williams at the jump will be no different from the laundry list of also-rans. I have a great feeling he’ll be ready to keep his head held high and meet this pressure-filled moment. He’ll throw beautiful dime touchdowns and be himself at all costs. That’s the perfect way to survive the intense scrutiny in Chicago.

What often, unfortunately, happens to young quarterbacks is that they aren’t “the guy” of a current regime. They’ll get drafted by another general manager and head coach in a lame-duck or win-now season. Then, when those two people are inevitably fired, the next general manager-head coach duo is saddled with a player they didn’t draft. It’s a vicious cycle for young players, but it’s understandable that football people wouldn’t want to commit long-term to someone who wasn’t part of their grand vision.

This is precisely what happened with Justin Fields when ex-Bears GM Ryan Pace and ex-head coach Matt Nagy traded up to select the quarterback, only for them to get fired in the ensuing offseason. In turn, current Bears GM Ryan Poles and coach Matt Eberflus may have dipped their toes in the water on Fields, but they never jumped all the way in. As such, there was never an earnest investment in developing and supporting Fields as much as you might see with other first-round quarterbacks.

This will not be the case with Williams. He would be inextricably linked to Poles and Eberflus. He would be “their guy,” the person they are entrusting with their jobs to take the Bears to the promised land. I cannot overstate how important it is for the general manager, head coach, and starting quarterback to all be tied together. It can be the legitimate difference between seeing out a legitimate franchise quarterback and, well, trading him for pennies after three years of consternation and frustration.

At the risk of stating the obvious, we Chicagoans adore our Bears, even if it drives us to madness. Sometimes it feels like we genuinely live and die with their exploits. The color of the blood in the heart of the Midwest is Bears blue and orange. It is a city’s passion and obsession for professional football unlike any other. The Bears are Chicago.

But all the Bears do, at least during my lifetime, is torture us. They have seldom rewarded us for our undying faith and blind optimism. We haven’t seen a playoff win since January 2011. We have seen more losing seasons than I can count on multiple hands. The Bears are, for all intents and purposes, a high-profile bottom-feeder that usually only serves as a worthy punching bag for the rest of the league.

The reason for all of this torment has been that the Bears can’t get the quarterback right. When he’s presumably drafted by the Bears, Williams will become the 40th starting quarterback for Chicago in roughly the last 30 years. FORTY. STARTING. QUARTERBACKS. I know there are a lot of sad-sack, miserable teams in the NFL, but I’m sorry: You simply do not know the misery that it is to be a Bears fan. Nothing else compares.

So, abandoning all logic, I don’t have another schematical or analytical reason to explain why Williams will be the guy. It’s all emotional. We have waited so long for a player like him, and it’s time that dream for this depressed fanbase is finally realized. It’s time the football gods finally throw us a bone. We are way past overdue, to say the least.

Here’s hoping Wiliams delivers.