Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams has all the makings of a star, along with the pedigree of someone who should succeed at the highest levels of the sport. In college, he was already garnering comparisons to active legends like Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes.
But one has to remember that the kid will only be 22 when he plays his first series in the NFL. There’s a lot of learning that needs to be done.
Williams, however, is doing all the right things and saying all the right things as he learns the ropes.
Caleb Williams, Saying All The Right Things
“I think I’m on track to be ready,” Williams recently told media. “Exactly where I need to be and where they want me to be. I’m excited. Every day I wake up, I’m learning something new. Getting ready for the season, preseason and these next practices. Very excited, still progressing. But we’re towards the end of install right now for this portion, which is very exciting. To think that not too long ago, I didn’t really know anything about this offense, and now I know a lot more than I did. So, progressing, excited and ready to go.
“I always think there’s more pros than cons in anything, especially for a young guy like myself. The reps are always paramount for anybody like myself, a young rookie, a second-year guy, a third-year guy, it’s paramount. It’s really important and we’ll see about these preseason games coming, how they will play out.”
As for what he needs to work on? The blue chip prospect seems very aware of what needs greater attention.
“I would say working on my blitz and coverage looks and feeling the umbrella of the defense,” Williams said. “And feeling that out to adjust protection; to adjust whether it’s a run, flip the run into it, flip the protection, get to a quick gain, get to a cover-zero check, however the structure of it works out. Just progressing, and a lot of that comes with seeing it and reps, and that’s why also preseason, those things are so important.”
As a matter of fact, Williams would like to hit the field in a real(ish) game sooner rather than later, starting with this Thursday’s Hall of Fame Game versus the Houston Texans.
“I would love to get out there and play,” Williams said. “It’s pretty awesome to be at Canton, but it’s coach’s decision.”
Chicago Bears Love Caleb
Williams’ teammates seem to share a positive take on Williams as a person and as a player.
“He’s a humble kid, but you see the leadership abilities,” Bears defensive end Montez Sweat told NFL Network, despite having some recent practice field run-ins with Williams. “One thing I’ve noticed, he’s not really thrown off by a bad play or a bad vibe or anything like that, and I think that’s important a for a QB to be able to let the last play go…He possess all those QB assets that you want in a good QB.”
“He’s great; he’s real,” Bears QB2 or QB3 Tyson Bagent told The Athletic. “People, a lot of the media, had whatever they wanted to say about him before he got here. Thankfully, I don’t really look into much of that, but since being in front of him, he’s just been very cool, very likable, very positive.”
New offensive coordinator Shane Waldron has also been nothing but complimentary when it comes to his young quarterback.
“The great part about it is that he cares, he works hard, he’s so competitive that each day we have seen that improvement from him,” Waldron told reporters. “So we’re confident that’s headed in the right direction.”
But, of course, this is all talk. Caleb Williams will get his chance to prove himself on the field soon enough.
