Report: Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams still having trouble getting the snap due to the cadence

The Bears gifted Williams their offensive terminology early on in the pre-draft process. They wanted him to get a head start on learning the cadence, as the Heisman winner played primarily out of the shotgun formation in Lincon Riley’s offense at Oklahoma and USC. Williams didn’t have the cadence down in the spring, which wasn’t too concerning, as he had the dead period to prepare.

The dead period is very much last month’s news, and the regular season is rapidly approaching.

Last week, offensive coordinator Shane Waldron said Williams’ understanding of the cadence was the part of the offense the coaching staff thought he was the furthest from being game-ready. In Week 2 of the Bears preseason, Williams still seems far from mastering it.

Caleb Williams had issues with the cadene on Tuesday

Per Greg Braggs Jr. with CHGO Sports, the first-team offense had three pre-snap penalties on offense during their first 11-on-11 session. Braggs wrote the cadence was the reason for the penalties.

The offense performed better in subsequent 11-on-11 series, including scoring a touchdown in a red zone drill and getting into field goal range in the two-minute drill.

Williams has a month to nail the cadence

Williams is progressing well as a passer, which is encouraging to read in the first week of August. But the cadence is an issue right now, and there doesn’t seem to be much progress made on it at this point.

It’s unclear if Williams will play in Saturday’s preseason game against the Buffalo Bills. If he does, Williams could quickly learn the importance of nailing the cadence before Week 1. That part of the learning process might not be fun to watch.