LAKE FOREST, Ill.., — The Chicago Bears wrapped up day three of mandatory minicamp on Thursday with all eyes on the 2024 first-overall draft pick in Caleb Williams as he gets his feet wet in the NFL.
The former Heisman trophy winner got his first exposure to playing against an NFL defense in the past three days, as he played in 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills against the likes of Pro Bowl-caliber players like linebacker Tremaine Edmunds and cornerback Jaylon Johnson.
As expected, growing pains were the theme of many reports out of minicamp for Williams. The rookie signal-caller reportedly struggled to establish a cadence on offense and had multiple passes broken up by a stout Bears secondary in day 2 of minicamp. During 7-on-7 drills that day, Edmunds also intercepted a pass from Williams on a pass intended for journeyman wide receiver Freddie Swain.
Day three of minicamp saw Williams improve noticeably in 7-on-7 drills, but saw him struggle to find the end zone in 11-on-11 drills against a defense expected to be one of the league’s best heading into 2024. Despite the miscues, Bears head coach Matt Eberflus had plenty of positive things to say about his newly minted QB1 when he addressed the media following the conclusion of minicamp.
