The Cincinnati Bengals made quarterback Joe Burrow the primary general choose of the 2020 NFL Draft and wasted little time in naming him their Week 1 starter for his rookie season.
Following Thursday’s joint follow involving the Bengals and Chicago Bears, Burrow spoke in regards to the Bears making the same choice concerning rookie and first-overall choice Caleb Williams.
“I’ll by no means fairly perceive once you draft a man that you already know goes to be your starter, however then you definitely don’t title him your starter instantly,” Burrow defined, as The Athletic’s Jon Greenberg shared. “And so then he misses out on all these reps with those that you’ll have had had you simply are available in because the starter.”
After all, there is no such thing as a good science for correctly growing younger signal-callers on the highest degree. For years, Kansas Metropolis Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has spoken openly about how Patrick Mahomes sitting behind then-starter Alex Smith for almost all of Mahomes’ first professional season helped make him the generational participant he’s right this moment. In the meantime, DraftKings Sportsbook listed C.J. Stroud of the Houston Texans tied for second among the many betting favorites at +850 odds to win the 2024 regular-season Most Precious Participant Award roughly 12 months after Houston named Stroud its opening day starter as a rookie.
“That’s what was nice about my scenario,” Burrow continued. “[Head coach Zac Taylor] instructed me I used to be the starter as quickly as I obtained drafted and I obtained all these reps with those in coaching camp — we didn’t have [organized team activities that year due to the pandemic]. These reps are so precious, and each rep you develop and you study a lot from. I believe that’s at all times a problem if that doesn’t occur.”
The Bears have been all-in on taking part in Williams instantly ever since they traded Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers in March. As of Friday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook had Williams because the betting favourite at +135 odds to say Offensive Rookie of the 12 months Award honors for the upcoming marketing campaign.
Burrow suggested Williams and others about transitioning from school to the NFL.
“I suppose what separates folks is when you’ll be able to keep a levelheaded, even-keel aura, persona, no matter you need to name it,” Burrow mentioned. “There’s going to be ups and downs. However are you able to come again the subsequent day and go about your course of the identical method you probably did the week earlier than whether or not you received or whether or not you’ve misplaced. Whether or not you threw 4 picks otherwise you had 5 touchdowns. You simply must have the mindset on the finish of the day that you’re going to be higher.”
Teammates appear confident Williams is as much as the duty, starting with Chicago’s regular-season opener versus the Tennessee Titans on Sept. 8.