2024 certainly wasn’t the debut season Caleb Williams was hoping for after being selected first overall by the Bears. The team got off to a 4-2 start, but he never looked completely comfortable, and a long losing streak led to multiple coaching changes before the season ended.
Despite the roller-coaster on-field performance, Williams has always been a polarizing figure off the field. Not because of antics or outrageous statements, but because he dresses and carries himself differently than a football player “should.” He’ll be able to put one feather in his cap as he was named “Most Stylish Football Player” by a popular magazine.
Caleb Williams Tops GQ Sports’ List
Williams was the highest-rated quarterback in his high school recruiting class and enrolled at Oklahoma in 2021. He chose OU because of head coach Lincoln Riley and took over the starting role halfway through his true-freshman season. The Sooners went 11-2 and missed out on the College Football Playoff that season.
Riley left for USC and Williams followed him to Los Angeles. His first year as a Trojan was excellent as Williams put up over 4,500 yards and led FBS with 42 touchdowns. A Pac-12 Championship Game loss kept the Trojans out of the CFP, but Williams brought home the Heisman Trophy.
The hype around Williams as the No. 1 pick started to build in 2022 and his life was put under the microscope. He’s always been unapologetically himself, which showed in a tough final season at USC.
The Trojans got out to a 6-0 start but playoff hopes were dashed after back-to-back mid-season losses. Another loss to Washington brought media scrutiny as Williams found his mother and cried with her after the game. He came under more fire during the draft process where it came out that he liked to paint his nails.
What Williams does off the field doesn’t impact him between the white lines, and the Bears recognized that enough to draft him first overall. Chicago went 5-12 in his rookie season with Williams throwing for 3,541 yards and 20 touchdowns. He’ll have to improve quickly on the field (ranked No. 33 in PFN’s QB+ rankings), but Williams’ fashion sense and ability to be himself landed him a major off-field recognition.
#Bears QB Caleb Williams was voted as GQ Sports’ most stylish football player, according to their Instagram page. pic.twitter.com/ddP2qPqp01
— Jacob Infante (@jacobinfante24) February 3, 2025
He won a tournament run by GQ Sports of football’s most stylish players, knocking off Justin Jefferson in the final. In a recent article from the magazine, Williams spoke about a mantra he lives by, “Just be who you are and stay true to that.” It’s a simple message that applies to everyone.
He’ll be happy to win this recognition again next season, but it will feel even better if he can keep being unapologetically himself and bring winning football back to Chicago.