Bears sign Caleb Williams’ former USC teammate

The Chicago Bears continue to leave no stone unturned with securing talent for their franchise quarterback. Caleb Williams has struggled to get himself going this season, but there is still immense faith from the Bears organization that he’s the guy. They made it clearer this week on how much they truly value their No. 1 overall draft pick, and how much they want to continue putting the right pieces around him. That includes a familiarity approach.

The Bears signed wide receiver John Jackson to the practice squad on Thursday, per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Jackson takes the spot vacated by defensive end Jamree Kromah, who was signed to the New England Patriots’ 53-man roster. He was with the team during training camp and played with Williams at USC, per Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team.

Jackson was apart of USC’s 11-3 season in 2022, which also happens to be the year that Williams won the Heisman. After leaving for Nevada in the offseason, Jackson recorded 35 catches for 267 yards.

The Bears clearly saw something in the undrafted wideout for them to bring him back to prove himself on the practice squad. At 6-foot-1, 210 pounds, Jackson is a smaller target with some speed on the corners, and has interesting similarities to Bears starting WRs DJ Moore and Keenan Allen. Having the connection to Williams could potentially help his case to eventually be bumped up to the active roster, even if it’s just on special teams from the get-go.

What is going on with Caleb Williams and the Bears offense?

There’s no question that injuries to the veteran route-runner Allen, and limitations to rookie first-round pick Rome Odunze have obstructed Williams’ development through two games. On Sunday Night Football against the Houston Texans, Williams was pressured throughout the affair, and took seven sacks. He added two interceptions, as well.

The offensive line allowed Williams to also get pressured 36 times. The Bears invested in their positional talent in the offseason, and subsequently put O-line help on the back burner. They are certainly paying for it, and so is their coveted QB.

Head coach Matt Eberflus won’t make any changes to the offensive line this week, as he believes that they will rebound with a better showing when the Bears travel to play the Indianapolis Colts in Week 3 — who are also quite strong with the pass rush.

Williams has 37 completions for 267 yards and zero touchdowns to begin his NFL career.