Caleb Williams didn't play much in the preseason. He got just shy of 45 snaps and led four scoring drives with the last one being a touchdown. Some people loved what they saw. Others were skeptical. That is how it always goes this time of year. However, the guys who know best in these situations are the ones on the field. The saying goes that the players always know. They know if a quarterback has something or not. Williams has created a growing buzz inside Halas Hall for months with his playmaking skills, maturity, and natural leadership.
While the Bears veterans saw plenty of nice plays in practice and the preseason, there was one that left even them a little bit speechless. Kevin Byard spoke to Adam Jahns and Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic. It wasn't the play you're thinking of—not the rainbow over Rome Odunze's shoulder, the bullet to Cole Kmet while running to his right, or the screen to D'Andre Swift. It was something much simpler, but that held far greater implications.
It might’ve been the second or third play (of the Bills game), and I think he had scrambled out to his right. It was something that most people didn’t notice, but he scrambled and he kinda held the ball out. It looked like he did it for no reason, and I was like, “What is he doing?” I asked him about it on the sideline and he said he does it because the end that’s rushing is trying to get the ball away from him. It looked as cool as s— on the field. I was like, “This guy’s feeling himself out here.” It was funny because it was the third play of his first game ever. That comfortability.
Talent was never in question with Caleb Williams.
What people in the NFL needed to know was whether he had the intelligence and awareness for this level. Extending the ball away from him to prevent a strip-sack on his very first offensive snap as a professional is incredibly hard to digest, knowing he's a rookie. People had said for weeks that he was far more mature than your typical 22-year-old. Most outside Halas Hall felt that was just typical team-speak trying to paint their guy in a positive light. It turns out those comments weren't inaccurate. If anything, they may have undersold him.
The excitement around Caleb Williams is justified. His talent and smarts have been on display since the moment he arrived. Even notorious pessimists like Rick Morrissey and Mark Potash have admitted the kid might be the real deal. It is a safe assumption he will have ups and downs this year. Rookies always do. Yet it is also likely he will learn fast. If he can master how to play on time and in rhythm as a pocket passer, coupled with his out-of-pocket wizardry, this offense will be hard to stop.
