The Bears have a meticulous development plan for rookie quarterback Caleb Williams to prepare for liftoff when their season-opener against the Tennessee Titans arrives Sept. 8.
That plan calls for between 45 and 55 preseason snaps, none of which came Thursday night in the Bears' 21-17 win over the Houston Texans in the Hall of Fame Game at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio.
While Williams and the starters spent the evening in sweatpants on the sideline, the Bears still believe Thursday night's experience was valuable for their new franchise signal-caller.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Chicago sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
"Yeah, it's his first time going through pregame, first time getting al the information," head coach Matt Eberflus said after the Bears' weather-shortened win. "He was right there with halftime adjustments, so he got to see that for the first time. You know, it's not college where you've got 30-minute halftime and you can put a whole new offense. I mean, you come out running the wishbone. It's fast."
CHICAGO BEARS
Eberflus and the Bears have been pleased with Williams' growth during the summer and early part of training camp. Williams is expected to make his preseason debut next Saturday when the Bears face the Bills in Buffalo.
But that will come after what Eberflus said will be a "physical week" of practice for a team that has a lot of work to do between now and Week 1.
"Yeah, it's really just going through the whole process," Eberflus said when asked what he needs to see from Williams to have him start in Buffalo. "This is a big week for us. We got to really make strides. We got to have a sense of urgency. We got to get better now. We got to see that from everybody."
Williams' teammates have all raved about the fast progress the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner is making in camp. Even on days when the Bears' defense dominates practice, Williams' rare talent seeps through.
"Shoot, just how he handles our defense," wide receiver DJ Moore said Wednesday. "He dices them up, they show something new at him, he goes around asking them questions on how he can be better with it. I know he takes everything in one ear, and it just stays there. And then he goes out there and carves them up probably the next two plays. It’s just amazing to watch."
The plan is for the Bears to see that in action next Saturday.
Then, the Caleb Williams era can unofficially begin.