LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Day one of the next era of Bears football officially arrived Friday when quarterback Caleb Williams and wide receiver Roma Udonze took the field at Halas Hall on the first day of rookie minicamp.
Williams and Udunze have already begun to build their chemistry off campus, but hopefully the work that began Friday will accelerate a bond that the Bears hope will be the backbone of a narrative-changing era.
“There are definitely things you can build within the relationship between him and me,” Udunze said of how important the two-day minicamp was to him and Williams. “But when you look at the offense as a whole, it’s a combination and bits and pieces that you learn together and communicate together. As a wide receiver and a quarterback, of course, we can go out and build chemistry in timing. He can see where he wants to throw the ball based on the speed of my route and different things that I do.” “It’s up there when it comes to setting up the attack, and that’s why we’re here today.”
There’s not much to take away from May’s practice in shorts against a defense made up of rookie players hoping to prove their worth and earn an invite to training camp.
But Williams and Udunze appeared Friday at Halas Hall. Williams was on time and accurate on almost every pass during the 7-on-7 portion of the day. That included eight completions for Odunze, who moved all over the field during the first day of rookie minicamp.
Even the actors who were not flawless worked to the new duo’s advantage.
At some point during a 7-on-7 stretch, Odunze got fouled coming out of his break, forcing Williams out of the pocket and buying time before beating him down the sideline for an 18-20 yard gain. It was the kind of off-script playmaking from Williams and funny ads from Odunze that the Bears hope to see on Sundays, even if it’s not supposed to be showcased in 7-on-7 action.
The two Bears rookies spoke briefly after the rep about routing and timing before returning to a solid day of consistent precision work for Williams.
On the day, Williams only had three incompletions. The first was a touchdown by tight end Brendan Betts in the flat. The second was a ball thrown high and in front of Peter LeBlanc. The final incompletion was the product of a beautiful play by cornerback Leon Jones, who reacted quickly to break fastball to left.
Williams broke up the huddle with “Bear Down!” To finish practice and head straight to work throwing routes to undrafted wide receiver John Jackson, who is at Halas for a tryout.
Undrafted rookie quarterback Austin Reed practiced with Williams in the offseason and saw firsthand the work the No. 1 overall pick put in to realize his star potential.
“I think anyone with a brain knows that this guy is being labeled as a generational prospect and I don’t think he’s ashamed of that,” Reid said. “I think he understands the work it’s going to take to become that instead of just thinking that he already is that. I kind of respect the fact that he acts that way and that he’s really saying, ‘I’m going to go make money with that label,’ instead of just thinking that he is that.”
Williams’ arrival is expected to shake things up for a franchise that has spent four decades wandering in the quarterback desert.
It’s an arrival that’s already beginning to leave its mark on the building.
“His character begins [it]”His light comes from within,” Eberflus said of Williams’ aura. You can definitely feel this energy. He is a 1+1 equals 3 man. He is a philanthropist. He is a man who brings out the best in people. “You can definitely feel it within five minutes of meeting him.”
The Caleb Williams era began in earnest Friday at Halas Hall. The Bears’ rookie quarterback hasn’t done anything surprising. There were no special throws or “wow” moments. Why would he be there?
It was nothing but precision and precision, and Caleb Williams took the first step on his journey to the NFL – a step he hopes will lead him on the path to “immortality.”
But this is a long way. While Williams has big visions, his focus remains on the small step that comes next.
“Obviously you have goals that you have set for yourself right now, and you also have goals that you have set for the future,” Williams said. “So that’s important. But also understanding the moment we’re in and being present in that moment is really important. I would say taking it one step at a time, dealing with it the way it should be handled, and being professional is really important. Really important. All of those go in One.”
The second step comes on Saturday.
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