Subscribe
Follow Us
With Caleb Williams looking to start in the Bears' second preseason game, it will be the first game-like experience for the fans to witness the hopeful improvement in the star quarterback. While there have been concerns from the football world about the Bears' signal-caller, head coach Ben Johnson would share that he's been most impressed by Williams.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday about Williams, Johnson would say how “pleased” he's been with the “significant progress” made by the former No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Specifically, he expressed the amount of verbiage that Williams has to say in the huddle and how quickly he has caught on, according to AllCHGO.com.
“I am pleased with how he is able to spit these plays out right now,” Johnson said. “He has made significant progress in that regard. And once we get going here in the game week, we’re going to condense the verbiage even more.”
Despite the amount of work Williams has had to do in the huddle, it is “by design,” as Johnson said.
“We have challenged him,” Johnson said. “It has been a lot. That was by design. So if we struggle at all in the huddle getting the play out, then, yeah, the delays are going to pop up. And that’s a little bit of part of the learning process of us growing. But by design, we have made this very challenging and hard. And we know what we need to do as a staff to alleviate some of that pressure. I think, Week 1, we’re going to be in a good spot.”
How Caleb Williams can ‘set the tone' for the Bears
As there have been some in the football world who have said there are aspects around the Bears' star in Williams that are alarming, like his processing, the team putting him through a rigorous regimen might benefit the ultra-talented player. Chicago's passing game coordinator, Press Taylor, touched on how the pre-snap process is crucial in setting “the tone for the entire play.”
“It’s everything,” Taylor said. “That sets the tone for the entire play. Just the way we communicate within the huddle, everybody is looking for their bit of information from the quarterback as well. So, it’s got to come out smooth, kind of rhythmic cadence to it.
“But that is essentially what begins the entire operation of the play, and then we operate at the line of scrimmage and everything goes from there,” Taylor continued. “That’s just something we continue to hone in with all our guys – not just Caleb but every single quarterback.”
At any rate, Williams looks to improve after throwing for 3,541 yards to go along with 20 touchdowns and six interceptions. The Bears start the season on Monday, Sept. 8, against the Minnesota Vikings.
