The hype is building in Chicago around the Bears and top pick Caleb Williams. The quarterback showed out in last week’s preseason game and everyone is taking notice.
NFL Insider Brian Baldinger of the Audacy Sports Podcast “In The Huddle” had high praise for Williams and said that Bears fans should be as optimistic as ever heading into this season.
“The talent is there. It’s undeniable. I’ve known that kid since he was in Gonzaga High School,” Baldinger said. “When he was 17 years old he could tell me how to attack Cover 3, how to attack quarters. He understands the game, and he’s got tremendous talent. His arm, it’s a live arm. The ball can come out hot. He can float it. He can layer it. He’s got all of that.”
Williams is a dual-threat quarterback and he showed his ability to scramble to extend a play on his touchdown pass against the Bengals. The key will be using that to his advantage and avoiding injury at the NFL level.
“He does have that element to his game,” Baldinger continued. “He can create, he can extend, and his eyes are really, really sharp.”
Not only do the Bears have the first-overall pick ready to go under center, but they have a great group of weapons around him as well. DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, and ninth-overall pick Rome Odunze lead the way in the passing game for the Bears.
“If you’re a Chicago Bears fan, you’ve got to be as optimistic as you’ve ever been. They’ve never put a receiving corps on the field in Chicago – in 100 years they’ve never put a receiving corps like they have right now,” Baldinger said. “We’ve seen DJ and we’ve seen Rome Odunze make that catch over the shoulder, and we pretty much know what Keenan Allen can do. And you add in Cole Kmet. It’s there to have success.”
Of course, we’ve only seen a limited sample size from Williams and it was in the preseason. The NFC North is tough with the Lions and Packers both making the playoffs last year, but Chicago could take the leap this season.
“You’ve got to be optimistic at this point from what anybody has seen,” Baldinger concluded. “Full speed ahead. Let’s get it started.”
The Bears have one more preseason game on Thursday night in Kansas City before getting ready for the regular-season opener on September 8th against the Titans.