Tom Brady responds to Caleb Williams’ aim for 8 Super Bowls in his NFL career originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Even though Bears rookie QB Caleb Williams admires Aaron Rodgers more than any NFL quarterback in history, he’s chasing the unanimous GOAT in the sport: Tom Brady.
“I want to play at one place for 20 years and chase one guy, No. 12 (Tom Brady),” Williams said on “The Pivot” podcast ahead of being drafted by the Bears.
On the lock screen of his iPhone, Williams writes out his short and long-term goals. One was being the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. He did that. Another one, the more eye-capturing one, is winning eight — yes, eight — Super Bowls.
That would surpass Tom Brady’s whopping seven rings, which is the impetus behind the goal. On the NFL Network, Brady responded to Williams’ goal of chasing his career legacy.
“Everyone’s gonna find different ways for motivation. And that’s certainly a way Caleb can find it,” Brady said. “A lot of people are gonna find different motivations. I found the ways that I did, that were useful for me.”
Williams expressed his lofty goals to the Bears well before being drafted. Between his top-30 visit with the team and the NFL Draft, Williams reportedly kept in contact with the Bears, telling them in separate Zoom sessions about his goals of surpassing Brady’s legacy.
Those are incredibly high goals for a rookie quarterback; one who hasn’t taken an NFL snap, yet. Williams isn’t even a National Champion, though he won the Heisman Award in 2022. His USC Trojans finished with an underwhelming season in 2023 with an 8-5 record.
Brady recognizes Williams’ goals are high. But he admires the motivation, refusing to discourage a young athlete looking to become the game’s best.
“I think there’s a lot that goes into winning one (Super Bowl),” Brady said. “And you’ve gotta set your goals high. I would never tell anyone they can’t achieve anything. If people would’ve told me I couldn’t achieve anything, that would’ve been discouraging. And I don’t want people to discourage young athletes.”
Williams cited his work at Gonzaga College Prep and USC for his belief in helping the Bears win multiple Super Bowls. He said on “The Pivot” people from each community used to show him gratitude for his consistent effort and success on the field.
The Bears are starving for a Super Bowl. They haven’t been to one since 2006 and they haven’t won one since 1985. The franchise’s recent history is tortured, mired in mediocrity and consistently irrelevant.
But Williams wants to change that. And Brady is excited to see the outcome.
“I think people should always reach for the stars,” Brady said. “Certainly young quarterbacks in the league, they’ve got a lot of opportunities. But their career is gonna be made by what they choose to do. And the work they put in and the relationships they develop with their teammates and the organizations they can impact.
“They should have high goals. But at the same time it’s hard to achieve them. And I really look forward to seeing that process unfold. That’s really where the hard part comes, for sure.”
Click here to follow the Under Center Podcast.
This embedded content is not available in your region.
