How Much Pressure Is on the Bears Star Quarterback in His Preseason Debut?
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams will make his preseason debut tonight against the Buffalo Bills at Soldier Field. Williams has not played an in-game snap since January when he would take down the Green Bay Packers 24-22 at Lambeau Field. Since being drafted by Chicago last year, the media has always had Williams at the center of attention. While the former first overall draft pick would have an impressive rookie season, the press hasn’t exactly been friendly about how he will perform this year based on his performance last season and during training camp thus far. The question is, how well will Williams need to perform tonight to meet the high expectations?
Quarterbacks Tyson Bagent and Case Keenum would play for Chicago in the preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins. Both would impress, but would leave the NFL world and Bears fans wondering why Williams didn’t get any reps. Head coach Ben Johnson explained that Williams would be getting more reps in practice that weekend than he would’ve been playing in the game, making his decision an easy one. With a different situation this weekend, he believes it’s time for Williams to make his sophomore debut. Last year in preseason, he would complete 10 of 20 passes for 170 yards, with a rushing touchdown. This would be enough to excite fans for their new potential franchise quarterback, but now, with it being his second year under a new coaching staff, Williams is expected to surpass last season's performance.
Bears wide receivers Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III have impressed in training camp this year, leaving them with a big opportunity for Williams to target them with an exciting throw tonight. Williams has an impressive arsenal to throw to this year, including wide receiver D.J. Moore and tight end Colston Loveland. As preseason isn’t a fully guaranteed indicator of how a player will perform in the regular season, it’s a great chance for fans and media to see how comfortable they look working with each other and how an offense will look for the year. Williams will look to not only impress Bears fans but also change the media’s mind going into the regular season.
