Caleb Williams proves there was no reason to overreact to one bad practice

As the Chicago Bears attempt to reconstruct their offensive roster, all eyes will be on quarterback Caleb Williams, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The acquisition of the generational quarterback prospect is set to bring HBO’s “Hard Knocks” series to Chicago, where Williams’ first NFL training camp will be closely documented and dissected.

Williams had his fair share of struggles while participating in seven-on-seven drills and an 11-on-11 red zone period during the Bears’ offseason team activities last week. The USC product completed just four passes while being sacked five times. 

Quarterback prospects who are touted as generational talents typically aren’t accustomed to struggle. When every broken play, chaotic scramble, and sidearm throw has gone their way, there’s no reason to expect it won’t happen again. But the NFL has a way of humbling its newcomers. 

Caleb Williams excels after tough practice

Williams seems to have taken a turn for the better since his early struggles. The 22-year-old has shown signs of improvement in practices — and even incited excitement with a beautiful pass to fellow first-round rookie Rome Odunze on Thursday.

Williams completed 13 out of 15 pass attempts against the Bears starting defense on Friday, according to The Athletic’s Adam Jahns. One of his two incompletions resulted in a defensive pass interference penalty. The young quarterback threw a touchdown pass to wide receiver D.J. Moore and led the offense to a win in the situational drill. The session ended with a field goal by kicker Cairo Santos to take the lead.

The up-and-downs are to be expected for a rookie. Williams will find that magical moments don’t come easily in the NFL. The game moves quicker, the passing lanes are smaller, and precision and timing will ultimately dictate success more than ever before. He’ll have to process the field quickly — and correctly — to win consistently. Indecision will lead to inconsistency and chaos.

The Bears defense isn’t making things easy on Williams either. The seasoned and veteran unit blossomed into one of the best in the league during the second half of the 2023 season. The ascending secondary features safeties Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker, along with cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon, and Tyrique Stevenson. Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds will serve as the centerpiece of an unheralded and underrated unit heading into the 2024 season.

On the offensive side of the ball, there is reason for cautious optimism. The Bears are implementing a new offensive scheme under offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, who spent the past three years orchestrating the Seattle Seahawks offense. With significant additions during the offseason, Williams will have a full set of skill position players to help alleviate the pressure. Running back D’Andre Swift will join Williams in the backfield, while wide receiver Keenan Allen will join Moore and Odunze on the perimeter.

Perhaps the biggest concern at this point would be Williams’ tendency to hold onto the ball too long. It’s a familiar trait to Chicago fans who watched former Bears quarterback Justin Fields lead the league in sacks over the past three seasons.

Chicago will become the first team with a No. 1 overall pick at quarterback to be featured on “Hard Knocks” since 2018, when the series spotlighted quarterback Baker Mayfield and the Cleveland Browns.