Bears training camp update: Why Caleb Williams ‘feels good’ two weeks into practices

On the eve of his first training camp as Bears head coach, Ben Johnson compared the start of camp to the start of a race. Johnson and his coaching staff had a lot to teach their new players and only six weeks to do it before the regular season started.

Quarterback Caleb Williams is feeling good two weeks into the race. There’s still plenty of work to be done. But Williams has been encouraged by the growth he’s seen up to this point.

“We’re growing and we’re still progressing,” Williams told reporters Thursday at Halas Hall in Lake Forest. “But I definitely feel good about where we’re at. And that doesn’t mean that we’re going to be in the situation where we’re like, ‘We’re good.’ It’s always a constant growth mindset.”

One of the biggest factors in Williams’ growth this camp is the continued development of his relationship with Johnson. The two spent time during the spring and summer building their bond by talking about football and other things to learn and understand each other better.

There’s still room for improvement at times.

Williams spoke about a play during Tuesday’s practice where the first-team offense faced a long third down and needed to keep the clock moving with a lead late in the game. Johnson wanted Williams to slide if he didn’t see a throw he could complete. Williams said he thought he could throw regardless of the situation.

He ended up not completing the pass, and the Bears gave the defense the ball back with time left to score.

Although there was a miscommunication about Johnson’s intent on the play, Williams viewed the moment as an important step in his being an extension of Johnson’s coaching on the field.

“It’s fun, it’s challenging,“ Williams said. ”I’m gaining more knowledge and coach is gaining more knowledge on me and how I play, and you know connecting those two things and then just the constant communication, open communication in those situations, off the field, on the field, on the sideline in games and things like that is where it’s going to be at and where we’re going to keep growing.”

That growth can be hard to gauge at times from outside of Halas Hall, especially when it comes in short videos. A video of Williams from one practice where he missed passes into a net with holes in it, and then was upset after it went viral on the Internet. It even made its way to national sports TV shows.

Williams explained it was a quick throw drill that the quarterbacks complete against each other. They quickly receive the ball, don’t worry about the laces, and try to hit the pass to the bottom left corner as if it were a screen pass.

“It’s something fun, something competitive,” Williams said. I was competing, and I missed it, and it was fake anger that I had, that I showed. That’s what, you’re competing with your friends and something like that happens, you give maybe a few words that you may say, choice words after losing to your buddies."

Williams will get an actual progress report Friday when the Bears host the Miami Dolphins for a joint practice at Halas Hall.

He told reporters that he hadn’t talked to Johnson about whether he’ll play in Sunday’s preseason opener against the Dolphins. But Williams did see value in getting real snaps in a game before the start of the regular season as the offense tries to continue its development over the next few weeks.

“We’re in a good spot, and we still have some time to go before we hit that 26.2, I think it is, at the end of the marathon ...” Williams said. “The hardest part is at the end. So we have to keep going, keep grinding, keep getting after it, and keep chugging along in this marathon.”

Practice notes

Thursday was a quieter day as the Bears prepared for their joint practice Friday.

Williams completed three of his five pass attempts during 7-on-7 drills and picked up a couple of first downs during 11-on-11 drills with nice throws to rookie tight end Colston Loveland and wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus. He also attempted to complete a deep pass to Rome Odunze, but safety Jaquan Brisker intercepted the pass with help in coverage from cornerback Nahshon Wright.

The first-team offense also put points on the board during the day’s situational drill. The offense led by 20 points with 1:16 left before halftime and the ball in its own territory. Williams picked up a few first downs, and kicker Jonathan Kim knocked in a 47-yard field goal.

“We’re growing and we’re still progressing. But I definitely feel good about where we’re at. And that doesn’t mean that we’re going to be in the situation where we’re like, ‘We’re good.’ It’s always a constant growth mindset.”

—  Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears quarterback

The Bears ended practice on a fun note Thursday when the offensive players played defense while the defensive players played offense. The drive culminated with Williams completing a pass to cornerback Nick McCloud and the “defense” having to do pushups.

Braxton Jones and rookie Ozzy Trapilo continued to split snaps at left tackle with the first team Thursday. Jones earned the first drive with the unit and played the position during a situational drill to end the day.

The two will face a big day in the competition when they practice against the Dolphins on Friday.

Injury update

Tight end Cole Kmet returned to practice Thursday after leaving a physical session Tuesday. Center Doug Kramer (foot), who also left Tuesday’s practice, didn’t participate Thursday.

Right tackle Darnell Wright and cornerback Kyler Gordon both left toward the end of practice.

Running back Roschon Johnson (foot) missed his first practice of camp after participating and talking to reporters Tuesday. Left tackle Kiran Amegadjie (leg) missed his fourth straight practice as he loses out on critical snaps in the battle for the starting left tackle job.

Offensive lineman Ricky Stromberg returned to practice for the first time in more than a week. Offensive lineman Bill Murray, rookie cornerback Zah Frazier (personal), wide receiver Miles Boykin (ankle) and rookie defensive tackle Sheman Turner (ankle) continued to miss practice.