Getting Caleb Williams ready for the regular season has been the sole focus of the Chicago Bears since they drafted him. Matt Eberflus made it clear. The #1 overall pick is the starter. There will be no competition. This team will sink or swim with Williams under center. In other words, the Bears don’t have time to take things slow with him. Eberflus must do everything in his power to get the rookie prepared for what he will see on Sundays this fall. In his mind, that meant taking some rather drastic measures with the practice structure.
The most notable decision is making sure Williams practices almost exclusively against the starting defense. He wants the young quarterback to understand what it feels like to go against one of the better units in the league. If he can learn how to operate effectively against them, future opponents won’t scare him at all. Eberflus admitted during his latest press conference that he’s been throwing everything at Williams in practice. That includes stunts, delayed blitzes, disguised coverages, and post-snap switches in an effort to fluster the quarterback.
There is no coddling to be seen.
He will either sink or swim. This is why the Bears drafted him. They believe he has the mental capabilities to handle challenges like that. Word is he arrived at training camp with a far stronger mastery of the offensive language. He uses cadences better and spits out play calls with ease. That led to smoother operation in and out of the huddle. It is always the first step for young quarterbacks in the NFL since most don’t run traditional offenses in college. Williams navigated this challenge and Eberflus’ constant pressure with surprising maturity. He still isn’t making any huge mistakes in practice.
Granted, the high-end execution isn’t there yet. The Bears offense still struggles in the red zone, but none of that is a surprise. Caleb Williams and the offense were always going to be behind that defense at the start of camp. Eberflus’ unit has spent two years in the same system. They have mastered it by this point. Shane Waldron just arrived a few months ago from Seattle. It will take time for him and Williams to reach a smooth operation. Until then, the learning will continue.
