LAKE FOREST, Ill. (670 The Score) — The No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and now the Bears' starting quarterback, rookie Caleb Williams has reached this stage of his young career by striving for perfection.
But one of the early challenges for Williams in his first training camp has been understanding that perfect simply isn't attainable in the NFL. Mistakes are unavoidable and are part of the process for continued growth.
With that in mind, the 22-year-old Williams has welcomed both the best moments and also the miscues as part of his development path.
“I’m on track to be ready,” Williams said. “Exactly where I need to be and where they want me to be.”
As part of their plan for Williams’ development, the Bears quickly named him their starting quarterback after taking him at No. 1 overall. Since then, Williams has led the starting offense through OTAs, minicamp and now the first eight practices of training camp.
Williams has had plenty of strong moments during training camp, including a pair of touchdown strikes Monday morning inside the Walter Payton Center. One throw was made on the move to six-time Pro Bowl receiver Keenan Allen, and the other was a dart to the corner of the end zone to rookie receiver Rome Odunze.
But Williams has also struggled at times with his pre-snap responsibilities. He has had to adjust with his cadence and has been challenged by a defense eager to provide a test. The Bears’ starting offense had a sloppy effort Saturday with far too many pre-snap penalties and miscues.
It underscored the need for patience, both for Williams and the Bears.
“I’m always tough about the mistakes,” Williams said. “That's the part about me that drives everything.”
Since joining the Bears, Williams has worked hard to gain a strong grasp of offensive coordinator Shane Waldron’s scheme. He has logged long hours in a hotel room studying the scheme, then has taken it to the field and guided his blockers through their assignments and receivers in their routes.
Early in Williams’ first NFL training camp, he has made a strong impression on the Bears through his ability to lead the offense.
“The great part about it is that he cares, he works hard,” Waldron said. “He’s so competitive that each day we have seen that improvement from him. So, we’re confident that’s headed in the right direction.”
As of Monday, the Bears hadn't revealed whether Williams will suit up and play in their exhibition opener against the Texans on Thursday in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio. It’s likely that Chicago will be led at quarterback by reserves Tyson Bagent and Brett Rypien, leaving Williams to make his preseason debut at a later point.
For Williams, the growth process will continue to come through practices and the structure set by the Bears. Williams knows well that even if he’s far from perfect, he’s building for a future filled with promise.
“I’m progressing, excited and ready to go,” Williams said.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.