Chicago Bears’ Bold Move: Did Missing the #1 Pick Turn Out to Be a Genius Play?

Navigating the quarterback carousel from the 2024 NFL Draft is anything but straightforward, especially through the eyes of Chicago Bears fans. They weren’t hoping Drake Maye would stumble in the Super Bowl — far from it. Maye, the third overall pick, carries this genuine, down-to-earth charm that’s hard not to root for. Yet, the real tension lies beneath the surface: Bears supporters just didn’t want to endure another offseason of “what ifs” — constantly hearing they might’ve missed out by not drafting Maye as their franchise quarterback. The incessant comparisons — remember the Trubisky versus Mahomes debates that finally simmered down? — have opened the door for pundits to fire relentless shots at the Bears for choosing Caleb Williams instead of Maye. It’s a narrative we saw unfold last offseason when Jayden Daniels burst onto the scene, making everyone cringe at the prospect of Maye shining on the grandest stage. Then came the Super Bowl, and Maye’s rough outing against a top-tier defense turned down the volume on his MVP chatter, replacing it with questions about durability, offensive line support, and schedule softness. So here we are, two seasons in, faced with a burning question: Did the Bears really nab the best quarterback of their draft class? Let’s dive deep, sift through the stats and jaw through what those numbers truly signify. LEARN MORE

It’s complicated. Chicago Bears fans weren’t rooting for Drake Maye to play poorly in the Super Bowl. Maye, the 3rd overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft is a rising star with a likeable ‘aww shucks’ persona. Bears fans were simply rooting against having to hear all offseason that they once again made the wrong choice in drafting their franchise quarterback.

The Trubisky-Mahomes chatter has only recently slowed down, leaving plenty of space for NFL prognosticators to take jab after jab at the Bears’ incompetence for selecting Caleb Williams over Drake Maye. We saw it last offseason after Jayden Daniels took the league by storm in his rookie campaign, and we were all collectively wincing at the same if Maye were to win on the biggest stage.

Maye, though, had a bad night Sunday against the best defense in the league (save a few beautiful throws). The chatter around Maye as the MVP runner-up has quieted, and the chatter over the Patriots’ soft schedule has taken center stage. Which brings us to our question:

After two seasons, did the Bears select the best Quarterback from the 2024 NFL draft?

Before I answer my own question, let’s sort out some quantifiables. Below are the raw numbers by each of the quarterbacks taken in the 2024 draft’s 1st round:

#1 Overall, Caleb Williams: 34 games, 16-18 record, 60.3% completion, 7483 yards passing, 47 TDs passing, 13 INTs, 89.0 passer rating, 92 sacks, 877 yards rushing, 3 TDs rushing
#2 Overall, Jayden Daniels: 24 games, 14-10 record, 66.6% completion, 4830 yards passing, 33 TDs passing, 12 INTs, 96.7 passer rating, 65 sacks, 1169 yards rushing, 8 TDs rushing
#3 Overall, Drake Maye: 30 games, 17-12 record, 69.8% completion, 6670 yards passing, 46 TDs passing, 18 INTs, 103.1 passer rating, 81 sacks, 871 yards rushing, 6 TDs rushing
#8 Overall, Michael Penix: 12 games, 4-8 record, 59.6% completion, 2757 yards passing, 12 TDs passing, 6 INTs, 85.8 passer rating, 17 sacks, 81 yards rushing, 2 TDs rushing
#10 Overall, JJ McCarthy: 10 games, 6-4 record, 57.6% completion, 1632 yards passing, 11 TDs passing, 12 INTs, 72.6 passer rating, 27 sacks, 181 yards rushing, 4 TDs rushing
#12 Overall, Bo Nix: 34 games, 24-10 record, 64.8% completion, 7706 passing yards, 54 TDs passing, 23 INTs, 90.5 passer rating, 46 sacks, 786 yards rushing, 9 TDs rushing

That’s a lot of numbers. What do they mean? Right off the bat, you can toss out Michael Penix and JJ McCarthy – they have been significantly worse through two years than their peers.

Next, while Jayden Daniels has had maybe the most statistically impressive per game start to his career, he has shown serious injury concerns. When overlaid with his playing style and slight frame, it’s hard to argue at this point that he will overcome his injuries to be a consistent star.

That leaves us with Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, and Bo Nix. I think they all provide an argument and it is really a matter of personal preference.

The argument for Bo Nix is that he has put up the best numbers of the class, has led his team to two postseason appearances in two years, and looks like a great pairing with Sean Payton. The argument against Nix is threefold – he has a relatively high interception percentage compared to the rest of his class, he will be recovering from a broken ankle, and he is an older prospect — set to turn 26 on just a few days meaning he will be 29 at the conclusion of his contract. Many suggest that his age, injury, and propensity to throw bad interceptions shows a limited ceiling.

Next is Drake Maye. A few days ago, Maye looked like the clear cut answer to this question. He was the flavor of the year, as the MVP runner-up with a chance to win the Super Bowl. And then everything came to a screeching halt. Maye went 27-43 (62.8%), 295 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs, 6 sacks, and 1 fumble in the Super Bowl. That stat line actually looks tidier than what Maye’s performance looked like, as Seattle put pressure on him all night long, forcing Maye into errant throws.

Still, Maye has shown to be a composed, accurate, and talented quarterback through two seasons, but the loss in the Super Bowl leaves you wondering if his historically weak 2025 schedule covered up some growth concerns. The Patriots will also have to bolster their OL after Maye was sacked 21 times in the postseason.

Finally, we have Caleb Williams. From a pure statistical stand point, Williams has the weakest argument of the three. However, context matters when evaluating Williams. Caleb emerged from one of the worst coaching situations for a young quarterback in NFL history, only rivaled in recent memory by the TLaw and Urban Meyer season. Caleb’s rookie season was fine, if not a little disappointing. Still, he emerged from it with a hot new coach in Ben Johnson, who helped him propel to new heights.

The argument for Caleb is that he is young, improving, and has shown the potential for the sublime — throws and plays that only one other player in the league can do. The argument against Caleb is that he remains inaccurate at times, and has a tendency to try and do too much.

With all of that said, I think I would take Caleb purely on potential. His ceiling is tantalizing, and after improving his sack total drastically, he has shown the ability to make serious intentional improvements in the offseason. If you choose Nix or Maye, though, I would not blame you one bit.

Now it’s your turn! Did the Bears select the right quarterback in the 2024 NFL draft? Sound off in the comments!

For a national perspective, check out this recent poll from Dave Kluge or the Football Guys. It’s interesting to see how fans are voting following the Super Bowl.