Matt Eberflus didn’t hold anything back when Caleb Williams arrived at training camp. He threw everything at the rookie. That meant practices every single day against the Chicago Bears’ starting defense. The logic was clear. If he were going to make it in the NFL, he’d have to get used to playing high-quality units like that one every Sunday. Unsurprisingly, the first week of practices was inconsistent. There were bright moments, but the defense owned almost out of the team periods. Williams never seemed able to find a rhythm.
Mark Grote of 670 The Score showed up on Saturday at Halas Hall for the first practice after the preseason opener. It was here he noticed something different about Williams.
Reports from the practice backed this up. The offense started out with another clunky team period, but that quickly changed in the second one, where Williams led a charge that resulted in a 35-yard touchdown to Keenan Allen. Then, as has become routine recently, the quarterback shined in the two-minute drill. Despite being given only 30 seconds in the situation, the quarterback still had what would’ve been the winning touchdown pass to Rome Oduze. Sadly, it was dropped.
That is the biggest takeaway from all of this. Sure, the defense has controlled most of the action—that was expected. What stands out the most is how unflustered Williams is. The fact he’s finishing multiple two-minute drills with touchdowns shows that he can overcome sluggish practices to rally his team. It is what good quarterbacks are supposed to do. Now, he’s also gaining traction in the team periods, showcasing vision, timing, and accuracy. It isn’t just a young kid getting bailed out by his talented receivers. Keep in mind he did this with the entire right side of his offensive line missing. Both Nate Davis and Darnell Wright missed practice with undisclosed injuries.
It might be too early to crown Caleb Williams as the next big thing. He likely has plenty of hiccups ahead in his early career. Even so, the fact he’s improved so rapidly is a strong indication the Bears may have finally gotten it right. Fans no doubt can’t wait to see him in game action finally.
