Bold Predictions for Bears' Individual Stat Leaders in 2024 NFL Season

Bold Predictions for Bears' Individual Stat Leaders in 2024 NFL Season
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1Caleb Williams Hits 4,000 Yard Mark
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2D'Andre Swift Regresses After First 1,000 Yard Season
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3D.J. Moore Leads Team in Receiving Yards, But Yardage Decreases From 2023
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Bold Predictions for Bears' Individual Stat Leaders in 2024 NFL Season

Aug 26, 2024

Bold Predictions for Bears' Individual Stat Leaders in 2024 NFL Season

CHICAGO, IL - AUGUST 17: Caleb Williams #18 of the Chicago Bears warms up prior to an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Solider Field on August 17, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - AUGUST 17: Caleb Williams #18 of the Chicago Bears warms up prior to an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Solider Field on August 17, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images)

Caleb Williams has one statistic looming over his head as he begins his Chicago Bears career.

The franchise has never had a 4,000-yard passer. It is the only team in the NFL without a quarterback who has hit that milestone in a single season.

Williams is set up to at least come close to hitting that milestone in his rookie season.

The No. 1 overall draft pick has three strong wide receivers at his disposal as well as one of the best tight ends in the NFL.

A 4,000-yard season may seem like a high expectation for a rookie, but within this system, Williams has a chance to hit that mark.

Caleb Williams Hits 4,000 Yard Mark

CHICAGO, IN - AUGUST 17: Caleb Williams #18 of the Chicago Bears warms up prior to an NFL preseason football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, at Soldier Field on August 17, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IN - AUGUST 17: Caleb Williams #18 of the Chicago Bears warms up prior to an NFL preseason football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, at Soldier Field on August 17, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images)

Williams can become the Bears' first 4,000-yard passer, as long as he starts off strong.

D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze give Williams three options to spread the field with.

Cole Kmet will once again be a strong option across the middle from the tight end position.

No other rookie quarterback in the NFL is set up for this much success, and you could argue it's the best situation a first-year signal-caller has been placed into in NFL history.

Of course, Williams has to execute in the pocket for the 4,000-yard season to be attainable, but at least on paper, it looks like the Bears will have that much of a reliance on the passing game for him to hit that milestone.

D'Andre Swift Regresses After First 1,000 Yard Season

LAKE FOREST, ILLINOIS - JUNE 04: D'Andre Swift #4 of the Chicago Bears looks on during Chicago Bears Minicamp at Halas Hall on June 04, 2024 in Lake Forest, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
LAKE FOREST, ILLINOIS - JUNE 04: D'Andre Swift #4 of the Chicago Bears looks on during Chicago Bears Minicamp at Halas Hall on June 04, 2024 in Lake Forest, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

The Bears took a risk by signing D'Andre Swift after his first 1,000-yard rushing season.

We will find out if the 1,049-yard season in Philadelphia was an outlier or not during Swift's tenure in Chicago.

Swift had not had more than 617 rushing yards in a single season during his three years with the Detroit Lions.

The Bears would love to have a 1,000-yard rusher to take some pressure off Williams, but that may have been a one-off situation for Swift in Philadelphia where everything came together perfectly.

The combination of Swift regressing a bit and Williams shining in the passing game could result in an average season by NFL standards, but an above average 750-850-yard campaign by Swift's career standards.

D.J. Moore Leads Team in Receiving Yards, But Yardage Decreases From 2023

CHICAGO, IN - AUGUST 17: DJ Moore #2 of the Chicago Bears runs a route during the first quarter of an NFL preseason football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, at Soldier Field on August 17, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IN - AUGUST 17: DJ Moore #2 of the Chicago Bears runs a route during the first quarter of an NFL preseason football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, at Soldier Field on August 17, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images)

D.J. Moore will have fewer receiving yards in 2024 than he did in 2023.

That is not a negative thing in Moore's case because his receiving-yard total will be affected by the injection of talent into the Bears wide receiver corps.

Allen and Odunze are upgrades from Darnell Mooney and Tyler Scott, who ranked second and third among Bears wide outs in receiving yards last season.

Kmet's continued development at tight end will also take away some yards from Moore. Kmet had 719 yards on 90 receptions last season.

Moore can still reach the 1,000-yard mark, but getting back to 1,364 yards could be a struggle with all the talent in the aerial attack.

In Moore's case, statistical regression will not be a bad thing because it means he has far more help than he did in 2023 at wide receiver.

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