Bears believe Caleb Williams will benefit from preseason opener despite not playing

How the Bears think Caleb Williams will benefit from the preseason opener even though he didn’t play originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

The Bears have a meticulous development plan for rookie quarterback Caleb Williams to prepare him for takeoff when their season opener against the Tennessee Titans rolls around on Sept. 8.

That plan calls for 45 to 55 preseason plays, none of which occurred Thursday night in the Bears’ 21-17 victory over the Houston Texans in the Hall of Fame Game at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio.

Even though Williams and the starters spent the night in sweatpants on the sidelines, the Bears still believe Thursday night’s experience was valuable for their new franchise quarterback.

“Yeah, it’s the first time he’s been through pregame, the first time he’s gotten all the information,” head coach Matt Eberflus said after the Bears’ weather-shortened win. “He was right there with the halftime adjustments, so he got to see it for the first time. You know, it’s not college where you have a 30-minute halftime and you can put a whole new offense on. I mean, you come out running full speed. It’s fast.”

Eberflus and the Bears have been pleased with Williams’ growth over the summer and the early part of training camp. Williams is expected to make his preseason debut next Saturday when the Bears face the Bills in Buffalo.

But that will come after what Eberflus said will be a “physical week” of practice for a team that has a lot of work to do between now and Week 1.

“Yeah, it’s just going through the whole process,” Eberflus said when asked what he needs to see from Williams to be the starter in Buffalo. “This is a big week for us. We have to make big strides. We have to have a sense of urgency. We have to get better now. We have to see that from everybody.”

Williams’ teammates have praised the rapid progress the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner is making in training camp. Even on days when the Bears’ defense dominates practice, Williams’ uncommon talent shows.

“Man, how he handles our defense,” wide receiver DJ Moore said Wednesday. “He tears them apart, shows him something new, goes around asking them how he can get better. I know he takes it in one ear and just sits there. And then he goes out and tears them apart probably the next couple plays. It’s just amazing to watch.”

The plan is for the Bears to see this in action next Saturday.

So the Caleb Williams era can unofficially begin.

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