Bears HBO ‘Hard Knocks’ 2024: Best Fan Tweets, Memes from Episode 1

“Caleb Williams has the opportunity to be the biggest thing in Chicago since Michael Jordan.”

No pressure, kid.

There is no doubt where the focus is going to be for the Chicago Bears this season, and the first episode of HBO’s Hard Knocks chronicling the team’s training camp started the only place it could on Tuesday.

With Williams under the spotlight.

The show opened with head coach Matt Eberflus calling Williams on draft day to let him know he was the No. 1 overall pick. That was far from the end for the USC product, as radio voiceovers compared him to Jordan as the show used the Chicago Bulls’ famous starting lineup music to introduce him to viewers.

The rookie quarterback was the star of the first episode, which included montages of him learning the offense during practices and meetings as well as the team having quite the reaction when he told them his signing bonus was $25.5 million.

But that didn’t stop them from booing him for a poor performance while singing during the rookie talent show.

Williams is a star, but he wasn’t the biggest star who made an appearance.

Bears defensive back Jonathan Owens is married to Olympics legend Simone Biles, and the team granted him permission to travel to Paris to support her at the Games. The gymnast, who won gold medals in the team competition, individual all-around competition and vault plus silver in the floor exercise, was missing her dogs when overseas.

The star power didn’t stop with Williams and Biles.

Former Alabama head coach Nick Saban, who coached Eberflus at Toledo, visited the team’s facility and talked with his former player about how to best prepare Williams to live up to the sky-high expectations. Considering Saban won seven national championships in college, there are far worse people to turn to when looking for advice on how to maximize young talent.

Eberflus also got some advice from his wife, Kelly, who told him to grow out his beard and get a haircut. It was quite the glow up for the head coach.

It wouldn’t be an episode of Hard Knocks without some of that off-the-field material, and Tuesday’s show also featured tight end Cole Kmet throwing out the first pitch at Wrigley Field, members of the team riding a boat through the city, a pool party at Eberflus’ house, a slip and slide at practice, and Jaylon Johnson’s tiny car.

Yet the most memorable moment arguably belonged to rookie offensive lineman Theo Benedet, who is from Canada and chose to honor the United States by singing God Bless the U.S.A. in front of the team.

That wasn’t all, as he also ripped off his pants to reveal a speedo with a bald eagle.

It wasn’t all good news for Benedet, who suffered an injury in the Hall of Fame Game against the Houston Texans that was included in the episode. Chicago came away with a 21-17 win in a game that was stopped early because of weather conditions.

Williams didn’t play, but Brett Rypien starred in the backup competition by going 11-of-15 for 166 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions. Collin Johnson also finished with two touchdown catches.

But if everything goes according to plan for the Bears this season, there will be bigger names than that making plays. The playoffs are the expectation with Williams guiding an offense that also features DJ Moore, Kmet, Keenan Allen, Rome Odunze, D’Andre Swift and Gerald Everett, and the team isn’t shying away from that reality.

Not if Hard Knocks was any indication.