Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams is preparing to make his preseason debut when the Bears take on the Buffalo Bills on Saturday night, and head coach Matt Eberflus thinks the rookie is up to the task.
While speaking about Williams on Thursday, Eberflus revealed that Williams is on a good trajectory.
“He’s right where he needs to be right now,” Eberflus said, via Nick Shook of NFL.com. “He’s having some good days, some good periods, and then some other ones that he’s learning from adversity and a setback. I told him to just lean into that. When you have a setback or have adversity, don’t shy away from it. Lean into it and then learn from it and then get better from it.”
So, basically, Williams is a typical rookie.
Of course, the hype surrounding the USC product is anything but typical.
Williams was selected by Chicago with the No. 1 overall pick of the NFL Draft back in April and is widely viewed as a generational talent.
The youngster has also made some rather provocative declarations, such as stating that he is chasing Tom Brady.
What are the Bears expecting from Caleb Williams in the preseason?
Eberflus explained what he is expecting from Williams in his Bears debut, and he is clearly not applying any pressure to the rookie quarterback.
“Just more of what we see now, where he is now in terms of the progress,” Eberflus said. “This is his first time in live action. He’s been getting a lot of good reps with our one defense, so I think it’ll feel similar to him.”
Eberflus added that the live game action will definitely be more helpful than training camp practices for the first-year signal-caller, which is certainly true.
Williams will certainly be under the microscope this weekend, and you can bet that the talking heads will be heavily discussing him one way or another after the game.
Of course, it’s just an exhibition contest, but it will definitely tell us at least a little bit about where Williams is right now, both from a physical and a mental standpoint.
Many have questioned Williams’ maturity and whether or not he can handle the rigors of the NFL. We are about to find out if the 22-year-old is up to snuff.
Want the latest NFL analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click here. Interested in reading storylines and analysis about the NBA? Check out our partner NBA Analysis Network.
