Caleb Williams Showcased High-Level Traits in NFL Debut

We should all know not to get too excited about any preseason performance (Do you remember how good “Steelers QB of the future” Kenny Pickett looked last August?).

Everything should be taken with a grain of salt during the preseason since teams generally don’t game plan for each other or use intricate schemes. It’s more of a test to see which players can execute at game speed. It’s a tune-up for veterans. It’s acclimation to the NFL for rookies.

So what can we make of Caleb Williams’ performance in his NFL debut last Saturday? Probably not a whole lot other than the recognition and confirmation that his traits translate well to the NFL.

That doesn’t mean Bears fans shouldn’t be excited by what they saw. Because there were some really good signs from the top pick in this year’s draft.

First, Williams’ unique abilities as a thrower were on display. Below is the pass that everyone is talking about, and deservedly so:

It’s hard to describe just how difficult it is to make a throw like that. Williams was sprinting toward the sideline, and yet he was able to snap this ball off on a line 35 yards downfield without squaring his shoulders to the line of scrimmage first. The ability to make that type of throw is rare, even at the NFL level.

I’m sure we’ll see Williams lean on that trait to get himself out of some sticky situations and make big plays this season.

This 3rd-and-12 conversion on Williams’ first drive may have been the most encouraging play of the day, however.