In a still-ongoing matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday, rookie Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams enjoyed another solid showing, during his second individual preseason game and his team’s third.
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Williams played sparingly, a sensible decision by head coach X, given the fact that it was a preseason bout. He completed six of 13 attempts for 75 total yards, averaging a middling 5.8 yards per, and was sacked once. He logged a 64.6 passer rating.
The 22-year-old’s passing velocity, accuracy, athleticism, and upside as a pocket passer make him one of the most enticing signal callers in recent history.
Most appetizing for Bears fans, perhaps, is the 6-foot-1, 215-pound star’s ability to improvise when a planned play breaks down. Watch him evade Bengals defenders here en route to a seven-yard rushing touchdown:
It’s this kind of work that helped make Williams the prize of a quarterback-rich 2024 NFL Draft.
During a decorated three-year career with the Oklahoma Sooners and USC Trojans, Williams notched a 23-10 overall record across his 37 games played (33 as a starter), completing 735 of 1,099 passing attempts (a 66.9 percent conversion rate) for 9,782 total passing yards and 93 touchdowns, averaging 9.2 yards per, against 14 picks. He notched a 169.3 passer rating. A very solid running quarterback, Williams also rushed for 966 yards and 27 touchdowns on 289 attempts.
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Now on future Hall of Famer and probable NFL GOAT quarterback Tom Brady’s famously restrictive “TB12 Diet,” the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner went 4-for-7 for 95 yards during his pro debut, a 33-6 blowout win last week against the Buffalo Bills.
In that 2022 Heisman-winning stint, he guided the Cardinal and Gold to an 11-3 record and a Cotton Bowl Classic berth against Tulane. He completed 333 of 500 passing attempts for 4,537 yards and 42 touchdowns (against five interceptions) and a 168.5 passer rating while rushing for 382 yards and 10 touchdowns on 113 attempts. He also earned the Maxwell Award and the Walter Camp Award, while being named a unanimous All-American, the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year, and the Associated Press and Sporting News College Player of the Year.
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As of this writing, with Williams’ backup Tyson Bagent in under center to close out the contest, the Bears lead the Bengals significantly, 27-3, late into the fourth quarter. Bagent has passed for a pair of touchdowns. Chicago seems likely to improve its exhibition record to 3-0.
On Thursday this week, Chicago will close out its preseason run against the mighty Kansas City Chiefs, winners of two straight Super Bowls. Given that Andy Reid often plays his veterans more than other teams during preseason games, Chicago and Williams could be finally given a run for their money this month.
