Barring an injury, the Tennessee Titans will be the first team to take on 2024 No. 1 overall pick and quarterback Caleb Williams in the regular season when they meet the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field in Week 1.
Historically, starting debuts have not been kind to No. 1 overall picks, at least in terms of wins and losses. According to NFL analyst James Nagle, No. 1 overall picks have recorded an 11-43-1 mark in their first career starts since the merger.
Taking it a step further, no quarterback taken with the top pick in the NFL Draft has won their first career start since 2002.
Since the merger, #1 overall picks have a record of 11-43-1 in their first start.
— James Nagle (@NagleNFL) August 1, 2024
QBs that got drafted #1 overall haven’t won their first career start, since 2002.
Can #Bears’ Caleb Williams change that, when he plays the #Titans in Week 1? pic.twitter.com/Yppto5wf0X
The first game of the season already has enough juice in and of itself, but with the national spotlight on this contest because of Williams, there is definitely extra.
Earlier this offseason, defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons made it very clear he can't wait to welcome Williams to the NFL, and he's particularly looking forward to trash-talking the USC product.
"Painted nails. I can't wait to say that to him," Simmons said. "Most definitely. Oh, it's gonna be one of them games. I mean, he probably gets smack-talked by his teammates right now, but especially a game like that. My first game, of course I missed the last end of the season. ... It's gonna be the first game of the season. They've got us coming to Chicago. All the hype's gonna be around them of course. I think when special, even prime-time games … everybody just counts Tennessee out, which we all know. A game like Chicago, I'm sure (they're) thinking we 'bout to get beat bad. That also make me even talk more smack and boost me up a little more, get into a different mode, as well. I'll be in a different mode that game.
"I get it. You've got a first-round pick like Caleb Williams, which is a great player. Watching a couple games when he was at USC, he's a hell of a player. But it's a different league, and I'm excited to play him the first game."
Adding to the challenge of having to block out an elite player and trash-talker like Big Jeff, Williams will also be squaring off against a beefed up secondary that will challenge him right off the bat.
