Head coach Matt Eberflus is in a difficult spot. He knows Caleb Williams needs live game reps to help continue his development as a quarterback. The problem isn’t that the #1 overall isn’t ready for that next step. All signs indicate his progress in training camp has been good. This is a matter of an alarming situation in front of him. Health would always be a big question mark with the Bears’ offensive line. Sadly, those fears have been validated two weeks into camp. Never did it appear more prevalent than the latest padded practice on Wednesday.
Nate Davis didn’t practice again. He hasn’t done much of that almost all summer. Frustrations with him are starting to boil over, even for Eberflus. If that weren’t bad enough, it appears Darnell Wright got hurt again just after returning from a different injury that had kept him out for almost a week. As a result, Williams’ protection struggled in practice, leading to little execution. The Bears face Buffalo this week in their second preseason game. As much as they want Williams to play, it might be hard to justify throwing him out there behind a banged-up offensive line.
Chicago plays the Bills in Buffalo on Saturday at noon. If Davis and Wright miss another practice, it might cement the decision for Eberflus. Being down two starters on the road against a good defensive front is not the recipe for helping your young quarterback. As much as the Bears want to get him those 45-55 snaps that can simulate NFL game action, nothing is more important than Williams’ health. If that means sacrificing a preseason appearance, so be it. Chicago must play the long game with this kid.
One thing is for certain. You can bet money the Bears will allocate lots of resources toward bolstering the offensive line next spring. They have around $40 million in cap space and three picks in the first two rounds. It would be shocking if they didn’t come away with a new guard and center by the end of next April. No expenses should be spared to ensure Caleb Williams’ security. Until then, they must make do with what they have. Some good luck would certainly be nice for once.
