Caleb Williams gave Chicago a brief look at what he has in store for the upcoming NFL season.
Williams, the former No. 1 NFL Draft pick out of the University of Southern California, practiced for the Bears’ preseason game on Saturday afternoon and completed 4 of 7 passes for 95 yards and also rushed for 13 yards in his NFL debut.
On Chicago’s first drive, third down and 12 yards, the quarterback had enough time and threw his first pass against the wind, but DJ Moore, who was well covered by the Bills, caught it for a 12-yard gain and a first down to keep the drive going.
Then, under pressure, the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner delivered a no-look flick pass to former Eagles running back D’Andre Swift, who sprinted 42 yards down the field.
Williams delivered another lethal hit to Cole Kmet on the Bears’ second drive of the game.
He rolled out of the pocket to his right and threw a pass across his body to the tight end for a first down.
On another play, Williams burst out of the pocket and used his legs to run for a first down, making sure to slide before getting hit.
However, there were also some mistakes, including dropped passes by Kmet and Moore.
Williams nearly had a pass intercepted when he threw it to a defensive wide receiver, but an illegal contact foul by the Bills nullified the play entirely, giving the Bears a first down.
On the final play of the day, Williams overthrew a throw to fellow rookie Rome Odunze in the end zone on third down.
Even though it was just a preseason game, the Bears were able to see his arm strength and ability to get out of the pocket.
The Bears haven’t been to the playoffs since 2020 and will be looking to their new franchise quarterback to lead the team to success.
In March, the team traded former first-round draft pick Justin Fields to the Steelers in exchange for a conditional 2025 sixth-round pick, paving the way for Williams.
During his final season with the Trojans, Williams completed 68.6 percent of his passes for 3,633 total yards, 30 touchdowns and five interceptions.
