Sitting across from Bears coach Matt Eberflus, former Alabama legend Nick Saban shared his theory about why NFL quarterbacks fail at a high rate.
“To me, expectations are a killer,” Saban, a seven-time national champion and Eberflus’ former college coach at Toledo, told him two weeks ago.
In a scene captured by the “Hard Knocks” documentary, Saban said Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams has no shortage of pressure on him.
“This kid you got, this kid’s got so much media, so much hype, so much expectation on doing well,” Saban told Eberflus. “And he has to develop so quickly to meet the expectations that everybody has for him, it’s almost impossible. The expectations are a killer. But yet, to use your word, development is the key for him.”
The Bears hope to see the next step in Williams’ development soon. The improved health of the Bears’ offensive line in practice Tuesday has the rookie trending toward making his preseason debut Saturday in Buffalo, Eberflus said.
Right tackle Darnell Wright and left guard Teven Jenkins returned Tuesday and practiced in full. Right guard Nate Davis, the last remaining injured starting offensive lineman, is still limited with a muscle strain. For the second time in two practices, Davis started off on the field before doing individual conditioning work the rest of practice; Tuesday, he rode a stationary bicycle.
The Bears want Williams to play Saturday against the Bills, provided it’s safe for him to do so.
“Just being able to have game-like conditions,” said Eberflus, who will make the final proclamation Thursday. “It’s good that way because you get to feel the pressure, and, you know, you can get hit back there, you can get sacked, and you got to be able to feel it like it’s a game. Of course, we try to do that every single practice, but there’s a benefit to having those real, live reps for everybody.”
Once Williams gets them, the expectations will kick into even higher gear. For all the hype surrounding the former No. 1 overall pick and 2022 Heisman Trophy winner, he’s yet to take a snap in a Bears uniform with defenders trying to chase him with bad intentions.
Bears fans are eager to see what he can do.
They’ve been fooled before by false positives, of course. In 2017, rookie quarterback Mitch Trubisky completed 68% of his passes for 364 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions over four preseason games.
In 2021, rookie quarterback Justin Fields completed 61% of his passes for 276 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions over three preseason games. He ran for 92 yards and a touchdown, too.
Both looked ready.
Neither, as it turned out, were.
Whether he wants to or not, Williams is carrying the failures of those quarterbacks — and even Jay Cutler before them — every time he steps on the field. Bears fans have every right to balance the excitement surrounding Williams’ arrival with some well-earned skepticism.
To quote Saban, those expectations can be a killer.
“Expectations, that can be a word that’s, to me, it’s about being here and being right where you are,” Eberflus said when asked about his Saban conversation. “To me it’s about the execution of the moment. You have to execute right now in the moment in that particular play.
“Expectations are something that’s put on them by outside forces. We operate from the inside out. So what’s important most is what the coaches, what the players, what we say we’re doing and how we’re doing in and the process we go through. So that’s how I think you manage that.”
The Bears believe Williams is built for it. He’s spent the last two seasons being a star in Los Angeles; he had his own bobblehead night at Dodger Stadium a year ago this week.
“I think he’s doing a good job,” receiver Keenan Allen said. “Caleb is a great person, so it’s kind of easy when you can adapt and just go on the fly. He’s been around this kind of situation, you know, being the guy for a while now. So, you know, he’s up for the task.”
Receiver Rome Odunze, the No. 9 overall pick, is eager to see action in his own first NFL game. But he knows what he wants to see from his quarterback Saturday — it looks a lot like the back fields of practice, only in a game.
“I feel like I’ve seen it already,” Odunze said. “I’m just excited for him to do it at this level, which …. You know, in practice he’s … evaded defenders, you know, made spectacular plays. Threw passes in spots where no one else could.
“I think he will continue to do that, whether it’s preseason, regular season, playoffs, Super Bowl — I think he’s that talented regardless of the setting that he is playing in.”