CHICAGO — Caleb Williams arrived at Halas Hall on Friday, his first full day as the new Chicago Bears quarterback, with the same level of excitement and self-assuredness he has been channeling through most of his football life. Williams is nothing if not confident. His ambition is spoken by design. And his undeniable presence is, quite frankly, striking.

So it was little surprise Williams made no attempt to lower the bar on what the outside world should expect from his NFL career. He has talked openly about winning a half-dozen or more Super Bowls and pushing, as his grandest goal, to become a football immortal.

“The only way to reach that,” Williams said, “is by winning championships. That’s big for me and the reason I play the game.”

As part of his climb, Williams is vowing to take the Bears back to heights they haven’t experienced in decades.

Yes, at 22 years old, Williams just touched down in a success-starved and scarred city to play for an organization that has been defined by its failure at football’s most important position. His position. So to some outsiders, Williams’ dreams might seem naive or outlandish, like every grand goal he speaks out loud will set him up for the hardest of crashes and an eventual headstone in the already overcrowded graveyard of Bears quarterbacks.

Still, Williams wants everyone to know — bosses, coaches, teammates, fans — he’s going to be fearless and unapologetically aspirational in his pursuit of excellence as Bears quarterback.

Williams was asked Friday why he hasn’t tried to temper the expectations, why he hasn’t looked over his shoulder at the pressure and criticism that will forever be stalking him, why, in an attempt to just find a little extra personal calm, he doesn’t give into the human-nature urge to duck all this scrutiny and hype?

“What’s the reason to duck?” Williams said. “It’s here. There’s no reason to duck. I’m here.”

Williams quickly went on to name-drop his new receiver, fellow first-round pick Rome Odunze, and his oldest receiver, Keenan Allen, who turns 32 on Saturday. Williams referenced the Bears’ talent-stocked and improving defense. He did what Bears general manager Ryan Poles has been pushing for his entire team to do and expressed an optimism in himself and teammates that was backed by belief and not just hope.

“We’re here,” Williams said. “I’m excited. I know everybody is excited. The Bears fans are excited from what I’ve heard and seen. And there’s no reason to duck. Attack it headfirst and go get it.”

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