Already Chicago’s undisputed QB1 as the No. 1 overall pick, quarterback Caleb Williams returned to team headquarters for training camp prepared for what’s to come, according to offensive coordinator Shane Waldron.
Speaking to the media on Sunday, Waldron noted that Williams arrived at camp “one step ahead of where he left.”
“(It) shows that he’s done a great job in his time away from the building, owning the offense, understanding different calls and being able to come out here in these first two practices and operate at a much higher level than what we left,” Waldron said, via Patrick Finley of The Chicago Sun-Times“We know that the final result is not important, but we see every day progressive improvements that lead us to the first match. This is our main objective in attack.”
Veteran guard D’Andre Swift also noted that Williams “has a better understanding” of the offense upon his return to camp.
“He’s got a really quick mind. He’s making smarter plays, I would say. Faster plays. You can see he’s in a better frame of mind. That comes with time. He understands the offense better. He’s had some time off, so he’s had more time to study the offense. So you can see he’s made progress since he came back (from the break).”
“I know he’s got a lot of work to do, he’s dealing with a lot of things every day. But he’s done a great job of commanding the offense since we got back.”
The Bears plan to play Williams in the preseason to get him ready for the season, though that may or may not start with Chicago facing Houston in the Hall of Fame game next week.
