NFL
Caleb Williams Lights Up Friday OTAs
Highlights
- Caleb Williams shined in Friday’s OTA session, with only one incomplete pass and two impressive throws.
- The Bears’ offense shows promise with Williams leading the passing attack, sparking excitement for fans.
- The defense under Eberflus has transformed, setting high expectations for a competitive season in the NFC North.
After reports of the offense struggling earlier in the week, Caleb Williams and the rest of the Chicago Bears‘ passing attack put together a strong Friday session, lighting up the defense with a near perfect performance through the air during the team’s 7-on-7 portion of OTAs.
With the Bears rarely being known as a franchise for having a lethal offense, this is certainly music to the ears of Chicago fans.
Expectations are high for the USC product after being selected first overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. However, the team has surrounded him with promising weapons, so it’s not without merit. While no single practice session will tell the whole story of the season ahead, there is plenty to be buzzing about for the Windy City fan base.
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Can the Momentum Carry Into Training Camp?
The Bears are closer than people think to being a contender
While the Bears 2023 season was far from perfect, the team really began to click over the back half of the season. With a final eight-game stretch of 5-3, the team began to show signs of life, and there was genuine confidence coming from the roster. After another aggressive offseason to help add to the talent, the team decided to move on from Justin Fields at quarterback in order to bring in Williams with the first choice in the draft.
A rookie passer can sometimes lead to a season of growing pains. However, this is the same quarterback who immediately stepped in during his freshman season at Oklahoma and willed a 21-point comeback in the Red River Rivalry against the Texas Longhorns. He has the ability and mindset to instill confidence within the organization that they’re competing for the postseason. Players like Rome Odunze and Cole Kmet have already shared such beliefs to the media.
Not to mention, the Bears’ defense has completely transformed under Matt Eberflus. With the unit being relatively young, another offseason of development should be terrifying for their early-season opponents.
The NFC North will be challenging, of course, as counterparts like the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions both made the playoffs last season. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Vikings have the pieces in place to also compete despite having a rookie quarterback of their own under center. Still, the Bears’ front office has assembled the roster to compete.
The Bears have now wrapped up OTAs and their attention will turn to minicamp, which runs from June 4-6 this coming week. The team will then break for the summer until training camp begins in mid-July.
The news that the team is clicking and producing efficiently during the offseason will only fuel the hype surrounding this team entering 2024. Keep an eye on Chicago to outperform expectations.
Source: Nicholas Moreano
All statistics courtesy of Pro Football Reference unless stated otherwise.
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