On Sunday, the Chicago Bears will kick off their preseason schedule when they take on the Miami Dolphins at a very hot Soldier Field. On Friday, head coach Ben Johnson announced that starting quarterback Caleb Williams would not play in the preseason contest, as backup signal-caller Tyson Bagent would start the game. The decision to sit Williams in the preseason is questionable given the fact that the second-year player is not only learning a new offensive scheme under Johnson but is also working with several new pieces on offense.
Caleb Williams needs live game reps due to the multiple new aspects to Chicago’s offense under Ben Johnson
Caleb Williams not playing in the preseason opener is a questionable choice for several reasons, especially with Johnson installing a new offense, and what has transpired during training camp, especially with his quarterback. Williams has been open regarding the slow process of having to learn the new offensive scheme under the team’s new head coach, as live game rep would help to provide much-needed game film to assist in more rapidly understanding the play book. Additionally, it would allow Johnson to potentially find a set of plays to carry over to the regular season that his quarterback would have comfort with when there might be certain learning curves with the new offense.
A new playbook isn’t the only new aspect to Chicago’s 2025 offense, as there are several new starters across the offensive line and at the skill positions. Williams, who was the highest sacked quarterback in the NFL last year, has three new interior linemen protecting him in Joe Thuney, Drew Dalman, and Jonah Jackson. With three new veterans in place, it would be best for Caleb Williams to build a comfort level in a live game environment when it comes to throwing form the pocket, especially since he can’t get hit during practice.
Although the Bears will have several skill position players returning in D’Andre Swift, Cole Kmet, DJ Moore, and Rome Odunze, they will have two rookies that will be feature parts of Johnson’s new offense. Tight end Colston Loveland and wide receiver Luther Burden are expected have significant roles, and will likely be targeted by Caleb WIlliams during the regular season. Too often is it seen in the regular season that a quarterback and rookie pass-catcher are not on the same page, which could lead to a turnover, as preseason reps could help Caleb Williams build live rapport with Burden and Loveland.
The game speed and live setting are something that practice can’t really mimic, no matter how much Ben Johnson values live scrimmages against different defenses. Live preseason reps allow extended situations that can’t be controlled, which is something that would be perfect for Williams. Chicago’s new head coach was noted for making this difficult for Caleb Williams at the start of training camp in order to improve the quarterback’s play and growth, as playing against opposing team in a live game would be the peak of having the Bears’ signal-caller play in an uncontrollable situation.
Having Chicago’s quarterback sit out valuable preseason games now especially with the immense focus he has been recently doesn’t allow for him to fight against his detractors. Over the past several weeks, Caleb Williams has received significant criticism and analysts due to his struggles early on in practices, with even his reaction to individual throwing drills drawing immense and overblown interest from fans and social media personalities. Allowing the signal-caller to make even a small appearance and have a chance to play well in a live game setting would significantly push back against the critics that have been overtly critical the last week and half.
Caleb WIlliams could follow the same path as Mitchell Trubisky as a second-year quarterback not playing in the preseason
A new Bears’ head coach sitting a second-year quarterback in the preseason, despite the potential need for live game reps in a new offense, has been seen before as the same thing happen in 2018 with head coach Matt Nagy and quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. In 2018, Chicago had five preseason games including the Hall of Fame game, yet Trubisky only appeared in offensive series for one game and the first half of another. Like Caleb Williams, the Bears’ 2018 starting signal-caller struggled in training camp with the new offensive scheme being installed by Nagy, as the new playbook was noted for been extensive and time consuming to understand.
There was concern for Trubisky’s ability to understand and execute Nagy’s new offense, especially after the new head coach sat most of his starters in the third preseason game, where the starters usually played into the second half. Those concerns were validated when Chicago’s offense struggled to start the 2018 season, as the unit only scored four touchdowns in their first three games while the quarterback had noticeable periods executing the new scheme. A situation where Caleb Williams and the offense struggle with Johnson’s new offensive playbook could be a disastrous scenario, especially for fans and analysts that were critical of the 2024 first overall selection’s rookie performance last season.
Unlike in 2018, where the Bears offense was able to take its time to get going, the same can’t be said for the 2025 team, as they are expected to be a fringe playoff team. This means that every game will count for Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson, and one game where the offense struggles early on could result in the team missing the playoffs in January. Giving Williams more reps better ensures that struggles are less likely to take place in the regular season because plays being executed in live game situations enabled for a quicker and more thorough understanding.
If this was year two of Johnson’s coaching tenure, it would be a different story if the coach decided to sit Caleb WIlliams for a preseason game because there would have already been a year’s worth of live game experience in the new offense. However, in a year with so many new aspects to the offense, along with Williams learning his fourth offensive scheme in three seasons, it is best to give the embattled signal-caller as many live exhibition reps as possible. The worst thing that can happen to the Bears in 2025 is for their promising quarterback to struggle under the team’s new offensive mind coach because available game reps weren’t taken advantage of in August.
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