NEWSLETTER
I said it in last Saturday’s Bears bullets; I was impressed by how much restraint Bears fans showed in the face of the first crumb of adversity surrounding the Caleb Williams era in Chicago. I know it should be a no-brainer that we don’t lose our collective cool over one bad practice in shorts in May, but after the misery fest that was Bears fandom from December to March, I wouldn’t have been surprised if that had happened.
That being said, we should treat today’s reports from Halas Hall similarly. By all accounts, Caleb Williams dazzled at practice today, again, in shorts, in May. So, we should respond with the same restraint, right?
No chance! Look at this connection with Rome Odunze and place your Caleb Williams Rookie of the Year bets!
Caleb Williams to Rome Odunze.
— Dave (@dave_bfr) May 30, 2024
My god.pic.twitter.com/5YfriZlNVN
I kid. But seriously, reports from Halas Hall today were very encouraging.
The Athletic’s Adam Jahns said Williams was 13-of-15 in 7-on-7s against the first-team defense today. Jahns noted that one of Williams’ two incompletions was on a play that resulted in a defensive pass interference.
“[Williams] threw darts all over the field, including a touchdown to D.J. Moore. The offense also won the situational drill, ending with a Cairo Santos field goal and the lead.”
That’s an impressive report (for as impressive as a voluntary workout practice report can be). However, some key players, including several members of the starting secondary, were absent from Friday’s session, as is typical for voluntary practices.
Notably, cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon and safeties Jaquan Brisker and Kevin Byard were absent, which probably made life much easier for Williams and the Bear’s offense.
Wide receiver Keenan Allen and defensive end Montez Sweat were also absent. Guard Nate Davis, defensive end DeMarcus Walker, and linebacker TJ Edwards were present but did not participate. Guard Teven Jenkins did not take part in team drills, according to reports from NBC Sports Chicago’s Josh Schrock.
