Matt Eberflus Praises Caleb Williams and Defense Following First Bears Team Practice

Matt Eberflus stood before the media and answered questions following the Chicago Bears' practice on Thursday. As expected, the lion's share of inquiries involved Caleb Williams, and Eberflus had nothing but high praise for the rookie quarterback.

Eberflus was impressed by Williams' consistent progress and was even more excited about the young talent's ability to translate what he learns off the field into practice. Eberflus cited Williams' ability to fill up metaphorical "buckets" and boasted that the team has pushed Williams as far as installing the offense, and the rookie hasn't shown any indication of struggling.

Unsurprisingly, members of the beat noted that the defense, mainly the secondary, looked ahead of the offense in Thursday's open practice to the media. Matt Eberflus made sure to put some perspective on the offense's and Williams' struggles: "This is the first time going against a pro defense, and a pretty good one," he said.

The Bears are installing new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron's offense, and Darnell Wright, Nate Davis, and Keenan Allen were absent from Thursday's voluntary practice. Despite missing some key team members, Eberflus was pleased with the overall veteran turnout and said he'd put it up against any team in the league.

Eberflus stressed the importance of coaching up his vets to practice hard, and heaped his praises on guys like DJ Moore and Montez Sweat as player examples of sustained success in the league who continue to set a positive example for the younger players.

See the full press conference below or on the Bears' YouTube channel: