Caleb Williams ready for spotlight as Chicago Bears open training camp

By ANDREW SELIGMAN

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — Caleb Williams is ready for what’s next.

The No. 1 overall pick and 2022 Heisman Trophy winner is in the spotlight in Chicago after taking on a starring role in Hollywood as a quarterback at USC. All eyes will be on him when the Bears begin training camp on Saturday.

“I put myself in this position a few times before I became a Chicago Bear on April 25,” Williams said Friday.

The Bears are counting on Williams to provide a boost and solidify a position that has always been a sore point for the NFL’s founding franchise. But he’s also in a rare spot for a No. 1 pick, joining a team that is one of the league’s shining lights right now.

The Bears have made several big moves to bolster their offense and get their sights set on the playoffs, something they’ve done only three times since the 2006 Super Bowl season. They’re also trying to secure funding to build an indoor stadium on the lakefront, but they could turn again to a piece of land they own in suburban Arlington Heights, Ill., if a deal doesn’t get done. With all that talk, the cameras on HBO’s “Hard Knocks” will be following them through camp.

There’s some buzz for a team that’s 10-24 in two seasons under general manager Ryan Poles and coach Matt Eberflus. But after going 7-10 last season, the Bears have their sights set on higher goals.

“We have our vision and everything around us and we try to work towards it every day that goes by, every day that goes by, and make sure I put myself in the right position from the beginning,” Williams said. “I watch film, I go over plays, I take in every detail I can, I try to understand why we’re doing this, when we’re doing it and things like that.”

Williams brings an impressive resume after throwing 93 touchdowns and just 14 interceptions over three seasons at Oklahoma and Southern California and winning the Heisman Trophy, and he shouldn’t be short of targets in Chicago.

The Bears acquired six-time Pro Bowler Keenan Allen in a blockbuster trade with the Los Angeles Chargers, giving them another veteran receiver and playmaker to go with DJ Moore. They also selected Washington All-American Rome Odunze with the ninth overall pick. Add in tight ends Cole Kmet and Gerald Everett, and Williams appears to have options.

“It’s just about maximizing his abilities,” Poles said. “I think I want to see him lean on the talent around him as well. I think it’s got to be comforting to know that you don’t have to do everything by yourself, which makes it a pretty interesting situation for a young quarterback. There’s going to be adversity and I just want to see him lean on all of us to get through those moments, and then when you click and you’re in the zone where those highlights are strong, we just continue to learn and get better every week and every day.”

Eberflus said he expects Williams to take about 45 to 55 snaps over four preseason games, adding that’s what Carolina’s Bryce Young, Houston’s C.J. Stroud and Indianapolis’ Anthony Richardson got after being drafted in the first round last year. But the plan could change depending on the health of the offense.

The Bears will face the Texans in the Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio on August 1. Their season opener will be against Tennessee at Soldier Field on September 8, and there’s a lot of work to do between now and then if they want to live up to the hype surrounding the team.

Williams has said and done all the right things since the Bears drafted him. It’s not just his arms and legs that have stood out in offseason workouts.

“Right off the bat, he was a leader,” Moore said. “He took control of the group. His arm ability was unbelievable. I think that’s what stood out to everyone. And when he tried to make all those throws this offseason in OTAs, it was like, ‘Oh man, he really just did it.’ Or ‘He did it on the run.’ It was unbelievable to see. I can’t wait to see him at full speed against the defense with protections and all that. So I can’t wait to see that.”

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