Despite rough outings during OTAs and minicamp, Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams is still happy with his progress. He is ready to build on that when training camp arrives.
The Chicago Bears invested a lot in quarterback Caleb Williams. Many people considered him a generational prospect. One of them was general manager Ryan Poles. He was scouting Williams since the USC player’s Heisman Trophy season in 2022.
Despite Williams not repeating his glorious season in 2023, Poles was not deterred. His incredible trade with the Carolina Panthers paid off in a big way. Like in 2023, Poles and the Chicago Bears had the number one pick. Instead of trading it, he used it on Williams.
Ahead of the draft, however, Poles wanted to make sure that Williams was in the best situation possible. He overhauled the offense, adding a lot of veteran players. He added talent and depth to every offensive unit, bringing in running back D’Andre Swift, tight end Gerald Everett, and offensive linemen Coleman Shelton and Ryan Bates. He also drafted wide receiver Rome Odunze and offensive lineman Kiran Amegadjie.
The biggest addition was wide receiver Keenan Allen. Allen is a six-time Pro Bowl player. He and D.J. Moore should combine to be one of the top duos in the NFL. Both are consummate professionals who are excellent receivers. They will be able to help in Williams’ development. Both can make plays on any throw. Additionally, they will help teach the rookie where to place the ball.
In addition, Allen has experience playing with a highly-touted rookie quarterback. He
© Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
was with the Los Angeles Chargers when they drafted Justin Herbert in 2020. Herbert has had a great career throwing the ball since. He has thrown for over 4,000 yards in three of his four seasons.
The only reason he did not reach that total in 2023 was because an injury cost him the final four games of the season. Even then, he still threw for 3,134 yards.
The experience of playing with Herbert is something that will help Allen work with Williams. Despite what happened in the video, Allen has high praise for Williams.
.@ChrisHarrisJr with some inside scoop from (now friend??) Keenan Allen about #Bears rookie QB Caleb Williams ??
“He’s the REAL DEAL.” @heykayadams @Keenan13Allen pic.twitter.com/LcH7147INT
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) June 3, 2024
Caleb Williams is the key to making all this work
Now Caleb Williams has a solid running back unit, with players who can make play both on the ground and in the passing game. He also has one of the best duos in the league and possibly the best trio when you add Odunze. Furthermore, he has a strong tight ends unit with Cole Kmet and Everett. Finally, he is behind an offensive line that should be greatly improved from what we’ve seen recently.
All of that was for Williams’ benefit. He is the key to this entire season. He needs to do his part now. Poles built a Ferrari for the rookie. Now it is time for Caleb Williams to make sure he does not crash it.
© Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports
Of course, with that pressure on him, all the attention is on Williams. Every move he makes is amplified, on and off the field. If he goes to a bar and chants “Green Bay sucks!” with fans the video goes viral. On that same plane, if he struggles on the field everyone starts talking about it.
The most important thing about Williams is how he performs on the field. He can chant anything he wants, he can paint his fingernails, and he can wear whatever he wants. The important thing is winning games, especially beating their hated rivals, the Green Bay Packers. The Packers have owned the Chicago Bears for more than a decade.
Even with all of the new weapons, the Chicago Bears will only go as far as Caleb Williams takes them. He is the driver and he needs to make sure the team stays on course to eventually win a Super Bowl title.
Despite some hiccups, Williams feels he is on the right track
Caleb Williams is a supremely confident player. It does not matter what happened beforehand, he feels he will be great in the next play. That is the attitude he needs to take with him on his journey in the NFL. Before he even takes a snap in a regular-season game, he has to show that confidence.
During OTAs and mandatory minicamp, Williams has had his ups and downs. It is important to understand that Williams is going against one of the top defenses in the league. The Bears’ defense is aggressive and forces turnovers. Last season, the Bears ranked fifth in total turnovers and first in interceptions.
After a slow start in 2023, the defense was among the best. This season, the hope is that success happens throughout the season. They see the attention Williams receives so they want to test him. Is Williams truly the superstar people feel he is? Going after him will help answer that question.
Additionally, having a great defense go after Williams helps in his development. The Bears’ coaching staff wants Williams to go through the gauntlet so he learns quickly. Even before the draft, head coach Matt Eberflus and offensive coordinator Shane Waldron were sending Williams everything about the offense so he could learn it.
Of course, with all the pressure there will be some rough times. During 7 v 7 drills during the first week of OTAs Williams had a horrible day. He completed just 1 of his 11 passes. That news became front-page news not only in Chicago but throughout the NFL.
Questions arose quickly. It did not matter that he also had times in which he burned the vaunted secondary. Seeing him struggle was the bigger news, possibly because people expect success.
There is another video that recently went viral. This one was not a good one for Williams, however. It was a video in which Allen showed frustration over a Williams mistake. Of course, instead of being reasonable and acknowledging that players show frustration through the course of a few practices.
“hell naw” ? he misses herbo so bad pic.twitter.com/CDdYb3808l
— ?? (@MALIKN8BERS) June 8, 2024
Some decided to say that Allen’s frustration is proof that he has second thoughts about being in Chicago. That is a ridiculous take, though.
The same happened during the minicamp. Williams threw interceptions in his first two sessions. Again, it did not matter that he also threw some great passes for touchdowns and at times made the secondary look pedestrian.
None of that matters to Williams. Despite the struggles, he is happy with how he is progressing. He remains positive through it all. He forgets what went wrong and feels that he is on the right path to greatness. He strives for perfection but knows that isn’t possible. However, the closer he is to that goal the better he will be,
#Bears QB Caleb Williams speaks on his mentality entering his rookie season ? pic.twitter.com/pxhaXokC7D
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) June 9, 2024
There is a lot of hope on Williams’ shoulders. Chicago Bears Nation is desperate to
© Eric Seals / USA TODAY NETWORK
finally have the franchise quarterback the team has not had. We need to remember, however, that he is still a rookie. There will be good times and bad. We just have to roll with them.
Keep in mind, when Patrick Mahomes, considered by many to be the best quarterback in the league today, played in his first training camp session, he threw seven interceptions. He has been pretty good since. Every rookie goes through their struggles. The hope is that the rookie learns from it and plays well.
In Williams’ mind, he feels he will and that he will lead the Chicago Bears through a great era of winning.
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