There are many yarns to spin about how the Chicago Bears and Washington Commanders are entangled together. Whether it’s via trades between the organizations, former coaches or players crossing paths in college, or players with new teams – their matchup this week is not short on intrigue. Let’s look at some interesting storylines that may affect the game this Sunday afternoon in Landover, Maryland, starting with Bears QB Caleb Williams returning to his hometown.
Caleb Williams Returns Home
Caleb Williams was born in Washington D.C. in 2001, eventually attending Gonzaga College High School. Williams starred as their quarterback and led the Eagles to the conference championship en route to earning the Gatorade Player of the Year award for the 2018-19 season. He returned to his high school after winning the Heisman Trophy with USC in 2022, and they surprised him by retiring his jersey number at a ceremony that ended with the crowd chanting his name.
For Caleb Williams, it will feel like a homecoming again when he and the Chicago Bears travel to Washington D.C. this Sunday to play the Commanders. Williams will have many of the same friends, family, and faculty that used to root for him in high school cheering for him at Northwest Stadium in week 8 of the 2024 NFL season. That might be an advantage for the Chicago Bears, especially if those fans are not as loud on third downs for the Bears, or cheering when Caleb has success as the Bears score touchdowns.
Caleb Williams was also coached by the Washington Commanders OC, Kliff Kingsbury at USC during the 2023 season. Kingsbury was hired by Dan Quinn in 2024 to be the Offensive Coordinator for the Washington Commanders. There was speculation that the Commanders could select Caleb Williams with the #2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft if the Chicago Bears decided to go a different direction with the first overall pick. The Chicago Bears had allegedly debated whether to select Jayden Daniels out of LSU or Williams with the first pick. Will Kliff Kingsbury’s familiarity with Caleb Williams impact certain aspects of this game?
Sweat Equity
Chicago Bears DE Montez Sweat was drafted by the Washington Commanders in the 2019 NFL Draft in the first round with the 26th overall selection out of Michigan State University. Sweat began his fifth season with the Commanders and played for them until Halloween of 2023 when the Chicago Bears, spearheaded by GM Ryan Poles, traded a second round pick in the 2024 draft to acquire the pass rusher. As part of the deal, Montez Sweat would sign a long-term contract with the Chicago Bears, and he did so a few days later signing a four-year $98 million contract on November 4, 2023.
Montez Sweat made his one and only Pro Bowl of his career the year he was traded, and he also notched his highest sack total of his career, which was 12.5. The Chicago Bears played the Washington Commanders last season on October 5, in Landover, Maryland just a few weeks before the Sweat trade. In that game, Sweat made an impression on his future team with 1.5 sacks, six total tackles, 1 TFL, 2 QB hits, and 1 pass defended. The 1-4 Chicago Bears won in a 40-20 route in a game where Bears WR DJ Moore put up the best performance of his career with 8 catches for 230 yards receiving and 3 touchdowns.
Final Thoughts
Caleb Williams and Montez Sweat are happy to be Chicago Bears. This will be their first game against the Washington Commanders and their first trip to Northwest Stadium as the visiting team since signing with the Bears. Also a happy Bear, DJ Moore has played in D.C. several times and played college football at the nearby University of Maryland. Along with Williams and Sweat, Moore will also have many former teammates, coaches, friends, and family in attendance, so this game has some extra meaning for all of them. It would add a layer of significance if Jayden Daniels gets healthy enough to face off against Caleb Williams.
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