Bears QB Caleb Williams Shifts Focus to Titans

Caleb Williams' next NFL appearance will come against the Tennessee Titans.

Aug 17, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) throws a pass in the first quarter of the NFL Preseason Week 2 game between the Chicago Bears and the Cincinnati Bengals at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Sam Greene-USA TODAY Sports / Sam Greene-The Enquirer-USA TODAY Sports

The Tennessee Titans have one final preseason game before their Week 1 game against Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears, but the rookie quarterback is beginning to look towards the future.

"Rookie No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams and the majority of Bears' starters will not play Thursday's preseason finale vs. the Kansas City Chiefs," ESPN insider Adam Schefter tweeted. "Chicago has seen enough for now."

This means that Williams won't see an NFL field until Sunday, Sept. 8 when the Titans visit the Bears at Solider Field.

Williams, 22, did not appear in the Bears' preseason opener against the Houston Texans at the Hall of Fame Game, but he did make his debut a week later against the Buffalo Bills, completing 4 of 7 passes for 95 yards.

He followed that up with a struggling performance against the Cincinnati Bengals where he completed just 6 of 13 passes for 75 yards. However, the Bears won both games in blowouts despite Williams' lack of playing time.

There shouldn't be many more restrictions for Williams beyond this. He was named the Bears starter early in the offseason as the No. 1 overall pick and he's expected to be Chicago's next franchise quarterback.

Williams' entire career has led to where he is now, and that is him preparing to take on a Titans defense that is hungry to compete against him.

“Painted nails. I can’t wait to say that to him ... Most definitely," Titans defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons said earlier this offseason discussing the game on the Rich Eisen Show. "Oh, it’s gonna be one of them games. I mean, he probably gets smack-talked by his teammates right now, but especially a game like that. My first game, of course I missed the last end of the season. … It’s gonna be the first game of the season. They’ve got us coming to Chicago. All the hype’s gonna be around them of course. I think when special, even prime-time games … everybody just counts Tennessee out, which we all know. A game like Chicago, I’m sure (they’re) thinking we ’bout to get beat bad. That also make me even talk more smack and boost me up a little more, get into a different mode, as well. I’ll be in a different mode that game."

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