CHICAGO – Bears left tackle Braxton Jones has an important job on the offensive line – protecting rookie quarterback Caleb Williams’ blind spot.
Despite being only a rookie, nothing about Williams’ preseason debut caught Jones by surprise.
“He makes plays that are different than other guys, did what he’s going to do, poised…he’s Caleb,” Jones said of Williams.
How many snaps Williams will play Saturday against the Cincinnati Bengals remains to be seen, with Cincinnati also in town for a joint practice at Halas Hall on Thursday.
Bengals Head Coach Zac Taylor already said his starters won’t see game action Saturday at Soldier Field, but Jones was hesitant to say whether the Bears first teamers should be out there.
“I have no call on that, no say. Leave it alone,” Jones said.
We’ll see what Bears Head Coach Matt Eberflus has to say when he meets with the media on Wednesday.
On the defensive line, though, the more reps the better. Just ask defensive end Dominique Robinson, who credited the 15 pounds of muscle he put on in the offseason for a big third down stop on the Buffalo Bills opening drive last Saturday. He also said he’s well aware that the 2024 season will be a make or break year for him.
“Being realistic, yeah. In my head, it’s either I take the spot or its football and business…came in trying to prove a point,” Robinson said.
Meanwhile, fellow defensive end Austin Booker looks like he’s been trying to prove a point as well; the rookie, who was drafted in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, led the team with two and a half sacks and three quarterback hits in Saturday’s win over the Bills.
“He has an innate feel. Good rushers are hard to hit, hard to stall, understand at max speed how to contort hands without slowing them down, great feel for that, taking what he brings to the table and can play good, clean ball,” Bears Defensive Coordinator Eric Washington said.
Jones also took notice of Booker’s game.
“He’s been fairly impressive. He showed out on Saturday, definitely gets some great looks. Continue to battle with him,” Jones said.