Caleb Williams hasn’t even officially thrown a real pass for the Bears, and he’s already turning heads. But it’s not necessarily Williams’ approach or raw natural talent that has caught Chicago’s eye — although, yes, those things help, too.
It’s how he’s seemingly already so advanced for a rookie who has yet to take a single snap in the NFL.
In a new report from NBC Sports Chicago’s Josh Schrock, the Bears’ offensive staff was so pleased by how well-prepared Williams was for their lessons during this week’s rookie minicamp. This is because Williams hasn’t wasted any time getting up to speed on what the Bears and the NFL will demand of him. Perhaps most importantly, he’s asking all the right questions.
“He’s [Caleb Williams] one of those guys who want to know why,” said Bears QB coach Kerry Joseph. “You put something in, you put a play in, you talk about it, you give him the progressions, whether it’s run or pass, like he wants to know why. Last night, probably about 10:30 or 11 o’clock, he texts me, ‘Hey, why are we doing this here? Why are we blocking it like that? Isn’t that his guy to block?’ He just wants to know. He wants to know those answers. So when you have a guy like that, he’s hungry for it and you love to know that because now he becomes a coach on the field for you.”
Above all, Joseph really appreciated how dialed in Williams was from the jump in his first professional action.
“Will [Williams’ personal QB coach, Will Hewlett] did a great job with him [Williams] of prepping him for what we’re about to do now,” Joseph said. “Coming into this minicamp, he was light years ahead of the information that he already had.”
Look, none of this is particularly groundbreaking per se. Williams’ job as a multimillionaire No. 1 pick is to be prepared for everything the Bears are going to throw at him. But the fact that Chicago’s new starting quarterback got off the ground running in his first few practices, and everything seemed to go off without a hitch is an excellent sign in itself.
If I didn’t know any better, the Bears appear to be taking the right and proper approach to the hopeful future face of their franchise.
No, pigs aren’t flying. Yes, I checked.