(670 The Score) On my Saturday show on 670 The Score, we spent a lot of time talking about whether Bears quarterback Caleb Williams is the most powerful rookie in the NFL since Eli Manning. Remember that prior to his final season at USC, Williams’ camp floated the idea that he’d want equity in any team that drafted him, an idea that so frightened the NFL that it quickly passed a rule making it illegal for any player or coach to have equity in a team while still in an active role.
And before Williams recently signed his rookie contract, he asked to get paid through an LLC or to receive his salary as a forgivable loan, according to reports. He also requested a no-franchise tag clause, something usually reserved for more established franchise quarterbacks such as the Cowboys’ Dak Prescott. None of those requests were granted as Williams signed a mostly standard contract.
With all that as the backdrop, Williams has now gotten to work at Bears training camp. With expectations high in a city starved for an elite quarterback, I’m here to share tips on how to watch Williams at training camp.
Sorry to give you a harsh truth, Bears fans, but you’re like the dude who finally lands a supermodel but doesn’t really have any idea how to date her.
You’ve got a lot to learn, so let’s get started. Let’s begin with a central question: What do you want to see out of Williams in training camp? I have thoughts, and I’m here to be the voice of reason.
The biggest problem facing Bears fans right now is unrealistic expectations, which is about all that can ruin this ride for you.
I’ll start this with a little historical fact that a lot of people have forgotten. Last year, then-rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud threw a terrible interception on his first series in a preseason game, and the internet melted down.
It was a bad pass, and you know what? It was just that – one bad pass. And we all know how that turned out in the end, right? Stroud was the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year on a Texans team that went from worst-to-first in the AFC South and won a playoff game.
Now I’m not saying that’s what’s in store for Williams and the Bears, but I am reminding you that what you see in training camp shouldn’t cause you to get your hopes too high or get you down too low, because it’s just that – training camp. It’s a setting to get in game shape and not much more.
The big difference between Stroud’s training camp in 2023 and Williams’ work in camp now is that Williams is facing a better defense. The Bears ranked 12th in the NFL in total defense in 2023 but were one of the best units in the league after their midseason acquisition of Pro Bowl pass rusher Montez Sweat. They return nearly their entire starting core. The Texans ranked 14th in the NFL in total defense last season.
So here’s my handy dandy list of what to keep in mind while watching Williams in Bears training camp and preseason action as well as a few indicators of what a successful camp for him will look like.
Don’t overreact
This is true on both ends of the spectrum. Don’t get too high and don’t get too low on Williams’ play. The dude is a rookie and will make rookie mistakes. They all do, especially against such an elite defense. So when Williams makes a bad throw or a bad decision, chill out. It’s only training camp, and no one he plays against this season will be harder to crack than his own defense. Steel sharpens steel, as they say.
Watch how Caleb responds to adversity
This will be fascinating to me, because Williams will throw interceptions and I’ll be interested to see how he responds when he has a couple bad possessions in a row. Mistakes will also be made in the regular season, because defensive backs are just so fast and the linemen put so much pressure on the quarterback that even the best are forced into making bad plays. How Williams responds when he makes a bad throw will tell us a lot about how ready he is to put this franchise on his back.
Watch the body language
It’s really easy for young players to get down, so I’m looking for Williams to show positivity on the field as well as on the sideline. I’m looking for him to be rightly bummed when he makes a bad play but for that to be a momentary emotion and for him to come back even more determined to succeed the next time he gets the ball.
Watch him to see if he has fun
Like most Bears fans, I think Aaron Rodgers is a cornball, but there’s a trait about him that stands out – the dude has fun in practice and has fun on the field. I want to see Williams enjoy himself. From what I can tell so far, he seems like the kind of guy who loves football, and I’d like to see him express that. He wears his emotions on his sleeves, and I think that’s good. If he finds as much joy in winning as he does sorrow from losing, there’s almost no way he won’t succeed. And if you see him laughing and joking around? That’ll be a really good sign moving forward.
Watch his aggressiveness
This is a major issue for young quarterbacks, and those who succeed – think Stroud, Joe Burrow of the Bengals, Brock Purdy of the 49ers – have never been afraid to throw into tight spaces, even as rookies. They make risky throws because that’s what a gunslinger does, and if the Bears are going to make the big leap to contender, they need a gunslinger under center who isn’t afraid to audible to a risky downfield throw. The deep ball seems to be a disappearing art form and even though they won’t always work, you know what they will do? Keep opposing defenses honest, and that’s more important in some ways than the success rate. Because if teams know you can’t throw deep, they’ll stack the box and make life tough for you.
Show composure under pressure
The Bears defense will bring the heat during training camp, and how Williams responds to this baptism by fire will be a real tell on how he’ll perform in the regular season. In college, Williams seemed to handle pressure pretty well – though he admitted his final season at USC was a mess at times – but how that translates to the NFL remains to be seen. I’m optimistic that he can handle the blitz.
To me, those are the indicators of what a successful training camp might look like for Williams. The nice part of this year is that HBO cameras will be following him around all year, so we’ll have unprecedented access to him on “Hard Knocks.” But keep in mind, “Hard Knocks” isn’t reality either. It’s a drama. So take it with a grain of salt.
Trysta Krick can be heard weekends on 670 The Score as well on her NBA podcast The Heat Check with Trysta Krick. Follow her on Twitter and IG @Trysta_Krick and on TikTok @ThisHeatCheck.