Caleb Williams has handful of highlights in impressive pre-season debut for Bears

Caleb Williams hasn’t played much, but he’ll keep Chicago buzzing this coming week.

Williams, the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft, got his first NFL preseason snaps for the Chicago Bears on Saturday afternoon. The Bears didn’t play him much, but he made some plays that will be repeated over and over again in Chicago for the Bears’ next preseason game. In just one quarter, his skills were on display.

On third-and-12 on Chicago’s first drive, Williams threw his first pass. He had plenty of time, stepped into a throw, and in windy conditions, hit a laser to DJ Moore for 12 yards and a first down. Moore was covered fairly well, but Williams hit him anyway. That kept the drive alive.

Then came some trickery. Williams was under pressure, so he pushed a no-look pass across his body, almost like a point guard in the lane, to D’Andre Swift. Swift went 42 yards. Williams is known for his ability to improvise and make creative plays when everything goes wrong.

Then, on Chicago’s second drive, Williams fired a rocket to Cole Kmet. Williams rolled to his right and threw slightly across his body, and it was an absolute fastball to the tight end for a first down. We don’t know what Williams will be as an NFL quarterback, but that throw alone shows there aren’t many players with more arm strength.

Later in the drive, Williams struggled and got a first down on the run, cleverly getting into a slide before he could be hit.

And that’s the Williams package. He can use his arm strength and work from the pocket or on the move. He also has the innate ability to make plays out of next to nothing. He also has the athleticism to add value with his legs. It’s foolish to make too many statements about a quarter of preseason play, but it was also exciting to see Williams flash his talent on an NFL field for the first time.

Williams didn’t play in last week’s Hall of Fame Game, making his NFL preseason debut on Saturday. NFL Network opted to air the top overall pick’s first few snaps. Everyone, not just Bears fans, wants to see the former Heisman Trophy winner in an NFL setting. And he delivered some nice moments.

It wasn’t perfect. Williams nearly threw an interception on Chicago’s second drive, throwing to a fully covered receiver. The pass was batted down and incomplete, but an illegal contact penalty by the Bills wiped out the play and gave the Bears a first down. He also had a pair of catchable passes that were dropped by Kmet and Moore. Williams also threw too wide to Rome Odunze in the end zone on third down, which ended up being Williams’ final play on Saturday. The offense isn’t fully functional, and no one expects it to be in the first preseason game.

Most importantly, Williams did more than enough to show why he was the first pick in the NFL Draft. Bears fans will be eagerly counting down the days until the regular season, when Williams’ highlights will count.