Caleb Williams Shines in First Padded Practice with Chicago Bears
LAKE FOREST, Ill. – The Chicago Bears’ first padded practice with quarterback Caleb Williams was a promising start to the 2024 season. Williams, the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner, showed off his skills, leading his offense to a touchdown in a situational drill.
As the Bears’ offense lined up at the 35-yard line, Williams snapped the ball and scrambled to his right, unleashing a deep touchdown pass to receiver Tyler Scott. The pass was a result of Williams’ ability to extend the play and his grasp of the field.
The Bears traded 2021 first-round pick Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason, clearing the way for Chicago to select Williams first overall. The team gave Williams the keys instantly, sharing playbook information and terminology before the draft.
Williams’ sky-high talent ceiling helped ease the decision, and the Bears’ perceived floor also played a role. The team finished with better records than seven teams and the same as three more, giving them a stable and talent-rich cast surrounding Williams.
“We’re extremely fortunate to be in the situation in which we’re in,” assistant general manager Ian Cunningham said. “We had good foresight and tried to maximize the draft position that we had in certain moves. And I think a little bit of it [was] we got lucky, too, right?”
The Bears aim to capitalize on their fortune-and-foresight combination, encouraging creativity in plays, including scrambling without hesitation even more than last year. Backup quarterback Tyson Bagent told Yahoo Sports that the team wants Williams to grow in the pocket and continue to make plays within the rhythm and timing of the offense.
Cornerback Jaylon Johnson praised Williams, saying, “You can notice in a quarterback if he has happy feet or is he settled in the pocket. And I think for the most part, he’s really settled in. Of course, if it’s collapsing, he knows how to escape and get out. But I feel like he doesn’t have happy feet and he’s not jittery.”
Williams is getting better each day, and with comfort will come confidence. Once he’s confident, Johnson believes he’ll take over the league for sure.
