Report: Bears were close to possibly drafting J.J. McCarthy over Caleb Williams
In a story from The Athletic, McCarthy's quarterback coach Greg Holcomb shared a conversation he had with Bears general manager Ryan Poles during a quarterback camp this offseason -- and it sounds like McCarthy was QB2 for Chicago during the 2024 pre-draft process.
'He was talking about how much they (the Bears) loved J.J.,' Holcomb said. 'And said to me, 'I don't think people realize how close we were to possibly taking him.' Obviously, they love (No. 1 pick) Caleb (Williams), but I thought that was interesting.'
It's worth noting that the Bears hosted just one quarterback for a visit during the pre-draft process -- Williams. Safe top say Poles and company did their due diligence on all the quarterbacks in that class, including McCarthy, Drake Maye and Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels, but they were pretty much all-in on Williams by March.
Following Sam Darnold's departure this offseason, McCarthy is poised to serve as Minnesota's starting quarterback after his rookie season was cut short due to injury during the preseason last year. Even more interesting, McCarthy will get to play his hometown team in his first NFL start as the Bears host the Vikings on Monday Night Football in Week 1.
Caleb Williams vs. J.J. McCarthy in prime time. Get your popcorn ready.
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