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Though he won’t play in the Chicago Bears’ initial preseason game against the Houston Texans on Thursday night, rookie quarterback Caleb Williams is expected to get plenty of playing time before the season starts.
Per ESPN’s Courtney Cronin, Williams is expected to get 45-55 snaps across the Bears’ next three preseason games.
“Caleb Williams said he sees more pros than cons of playing in the preseason,” Cronin said. “…He said that that would be paramount over the next couple of weeks as he gets ready for his first NFL season.”
Courtney Cronin @CourtneyRCronin
From @SportsCenter: Caleb Williams won’t play in the Hall of Fame game but is expected to still get 45-55 snaps in the Bears remaining preseason games; reps that he deems “paramount” for his growth. pic.twitter.com/t2EQzSDQjw
Cronin also noted that it’s not yet known whether Williams will play in the Bears’ preseason game against the Buffalo Bills next week or if his debut will come at a later date.
While many starters opt to skip preseason or play very limited reps, the decision for Williams to play will give him time to clean up some things before he starts the season.
“It’s simple things like getting in and out of the huddle, making sure that everybody’s on the same page with his cadence as well,” Cronin said. “We’ve seen multiple false starts in practices, a couple delays of games. Making sure that those things don’t happen in real football is what you’re doing out there now.”
The top pick in the 2024 draft is looking to have an immediate impact in the league, and getting some reps in preseason should benefit him greatly.
Williams begins his rookie year after plenty of offseason hype that followed a tremendous college career. The former Heisman Trophy winner will now look to live up to that hype on a team that has struggled for much of the last decade.
Chicago is coming off a 7-10 season that saw it miss the playoffs for a third consecutive year. With Williams taking over under center and a strong supporting cast around him, things could start to turn around for the Bears.
