Great expectations for Caleb Williams ahead of preseason debut

After sitting and watching the preseason opener for the Chicago Bears, Caleb Williams is finally set to make his first career start.

It’s another highly anticipated debut in the Windy City, as the Bears have gone through a long string of quarterback prospects in search of a franchise player at the position. 

Williams will take the field on the road against the Buffalo Bills at 1 p.m. ET on the NFL Network for an unspecified amount of reps along with the rest of Chicago’s starters.

Bears head coach Matt Eberflus wants to see how Williams reacts to a hostile environment.

“[Williams has] been getting a lot of good reps with our No. 1 defense, so I think it will feel similar to him,” Eberflus said. “[It will be important for him to be] there in the pocket, to be able to move, maneuver in the pocket, ride the pocket, escape on the outside, all those things.”

It has been almost nine months since Williams has played in a game, so the little things will mean a lot.

The coaching staff will be keeping a close eye on his ability to call plays quickly and with the command of a talented group of offensive players.  

For his part, Williams is trying to keep his focus on getting better each week and elevating the entire team in the process.

“I feel that I’ve been on many teams, many organizations where the team may have not been where everybody else wants it to be, where the head of the team wants it to be,” Williams said. “[I’m] trying to strive and reach that goal that I have of myself, of the team, which is to go win games, win the big one at the end…

“Working my tail off and getting after it is the first part.”

More NFL: Here’s why 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk didn’t want to go the Patriots

Author(s)

David Grubb has been active in sports media for 25 years, working in just about every format imaginable and covering anything where a score is kept. He is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists’ Sports Task Force and the National Sports Media Association and has won awards as a writer, social media manager, and podcaster.