Bear Digest

Rust No Concern as Bears Decide to Rest Caleb Williams and Starters

Coach Matt Eberflus says he'll rest starters against Kansas City Thursday and the possibility of a negative effect from inactivity isn't a concern.

Gene Chamberlain

Joe Burrow greets Caleb Williams after Saturday's preseason game at Soldier Field, the last game action for the Bears QB until regular season.
Joe Burrow greets Caleb Williams after Saturday's preseason game at Soldier Field, the last game action for the Bears QB until regular season. / Daniel Bartel-USA TODAY Sports
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There could be a few Bears starters or potential starters seeing playing time against Kansas City in Thursday’s final preseason game but quarterback Caleb Williams will not be one of them.

The next time Bears fans see Williams calling signals will be in Game 1 against the Tennessee Titans Sept. 8 at Soldier Field.

“In terms of the game on Thursday, the majority of the starters will not play in that game,” coach Matt Eberflus said prior to Tuesday’s practice. “We feel really good about our process, the plan that we’ve had in terms of the range of plays for certain players.

“The range of reps in terms of competitive reps, we feel really good about that. We had a joint practice, ones on ones the entire time. So we feel good about where we are there.”

Williams had 43 plays. Originally, the target was described as 45-60 preseason plays. The Bears emerged from Williams’ preseason play positive about his direction because he accomplished what they wanted to see in several ways.

“Just the process of being able to get into the huddle, make the call, be clean, get to the line, look at the shot clock and say, ‘OK, this is a little bit low’ and move guys around fast enough to get the snap off,” Eberflus said. “Have an awareness and then really do a good job of at line of scrimmage, to be able to adjust to what the defense gives you and make your adjustments from there.

“I think it’s been clean and then post-snap I think he’s been relatively good in terms of going through his progressions, making good decisions, taking care of the football in the pocket with two hands and moving around there when he does have to do that. But overall, I thought, a good preseason for him.”

Williams’ ability to quickly understand where a play failed or succeeded indicated steps forward. 

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“I mean once he’s learned the offense and knows where everybody’s supposed to be, then he can really start to dissect where the breakdown happened or what the case may be,” Eberflus said. “But he’s always done a really good job with that. He can see a lot of things and chunk a lot of information on the field for sure.

“He’s always been great at that, understanding the spacing where people are. He’s been really doing a good job of coaching the other guys and helping the other guys and they’ve been helping him. So it’s been a process of two- and three-way communication, so it’s been good.”

The starters, Williams included, will now have about 2 ½ weeks from the end of practice Wednesday until they take the field for the first game. It’s a long period of time but Eberflus isn’t worried about rust.

“Yeah, it’s really about one: it’s to stay in condition, stay in condition,” Eberflus said. “Because we practice really hard and we got to maintain the conditioning level. That’s got to be the key. Maintain your fundamentals through drill work, through team work. That’s got to stay sharp because that’s what wins football games.

“Then, stay healthy. That’s getting to the first game the best we can. We have a really good plan in place for that. I know it’s a lot longer time then its been in the past but we feel really good about the process.”

In Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s practice, Williams will simply be running the offense but after the Chiefs game they will begin aiming him for the Titans in a game plan.

Nothing in preseason or training camp has altered the plan to have Williams ready, Eberflus said.

“No. It was an open plan,” he said. “So we had an open ending to it. We wanted to see how it progressed and keep an open mind about it. All of us were on board to flex and move wherever we needed. That shows adaptability in terms of the veterans that we are playing there, understanding where he is. He did a good job of progressing.”

Bears defensive end Montez Sweat said the defense will also be able to avoid rust without playing a game.

“I mean, we’re practicing,” he said. “You stay sharp in practice, you stay sharp on your film study and just look at what’s coming next.”

What’s coming next won’t arrive for quite a while, however.

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Gene Chamberlain

GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.