Chicago Bears: Caleb Williams Struggles In First Practice; Coaches Preach Long Term Optimism

The Chicago Bears have high hopes for number one overall pick Caleb Williams. After years of quarterback mediocrity, the former USC quarterback finally brings the star power to the position this franchise has been lacking. It made what happened at the first practice a little disheartening for fans. Williams struggled, but coaches and players pushed for optimism despite the struggles.

Chicago Bears Caleb Williams Struggles

Nicholas Moreano, a Chicago Bears beat reporter, gave a concerning report out of OTAs. In the 7-on-7 period, Caleb Williams only completed three passes and missed many open receivers. Furthermore, most of the passes were flat, and his bad habit of holding the ball too long reared its ugly head. There was not a lot of open space as the above-average secondary of the Bears locked things down. Veteran safety Kevin Byard talked about how this was a factor in the struggles.

“I mean, we had a good day. I’m not going to sit here and lie about that,” veteran safety Kevin Byard said after practice. “But to be honest, it’s to be expected. You have a returning top-15, top-10 defense, obviously going against a younger rookie quarterback who’s getting acclimated and learning things, that’s what it is supposed to look like.”

The Chicago Bears are slated to have one of the top defenses, and they have the advantage of playing together all last year. Caleb Williams is learning a new system and getting acclimated to the NFL game. While this performance isn’t good, it is part of the growing pains of being an NFL quarterback.

Long Term Optimism

Head coach Matt Eberflus preached optimism after the rough practice. While everyone will focus on the bad, he and his staff saw improvement.

“This is the first time going against a pro defense, and a pretty good one. It’s going to be learning for everybody. They’re getting everything together. It was progress. I saw progress from the first day to the second, the second to the third.”

Caleb Williams was such a highly touted prospect that we are all expecting him to be good right away. We are forgetting that it may take some time for him to get used to the NFL. It is worth noting as well that many of the offensive starters were not present due to this being a voluntary practice.

There’s no reason to panic if you are a Chicago Bears fan. Last year, CJ Stroud had an awful first preseason game, and his 2023 season was one of the best rookie years ever. Still, this is something to watch as the offseason progresses.