The Chicago Bears want rookie quarterback Caleb Williams to adjust to the speed of the NFL as quickly as possible, but they are still not taking any chances with overzealous defenders hitting him in training camp.
The Bears ejected star defensive end Montez Sweat from a team drill during July 27’s practice after he made contact with Williams for a second straight practice. According to Sports Illustrated’s Gene Chamberlain, Sweat reached out from his pass rush and hit the ball out of Williams’ hand as he pulled back to pass, making contact with his arm.
Afterward, Bears head coach Matt Eberflus booted Sweat from the drill and pulled him over to the sideline for a chat, reinforcing to him that defenders cannot make contact with the quarterbacks. The QBs even wear orange jerseys as a visual reminder.
“He knows he should not do that,” Eberflus told reporters after Saturday’s practice. “I threw him out of the drill today and then I pulled him aside and I said, ‘Look, you cannot do that. You’ll be sick if something happens.’ And that’s what I told him.
“He understands that. Does he get around there fast and all that stuff? Yeah, he does, but he’s also a superior, elite athlete. He’s good enough to be able to stop and move away, so he’s got to be disciplined in that way and he will [be] in the future.”
Keeping Caleb Williams Safe in Practice is Paramount
The Bears should be able to move past the issue with Sweat easily. He is a seasoned pro and understands that the risk is not worth the overzealous behavior in practice. But Eberflus is also right to safeguard his rookie quarterback — any of the quarterbacks, really — from unnecessary danger in camp as they prepare for the 2024 season.
The Bears would see their momentum pop like a balloon if Williams sustained an injury during camp or the preseason. While they have crafted a playoff-worthy roster over the past few offseasons, Williams is their much-anticipated No. 1 overall pick and, they hope, the answer to their long-running problems at the quarterback position.
The Bears need to see Williams play in 2024 to know if they are heading in the right direction with him, and he cannot play if he is out with an injury before September.
At the same time, the Bears will need to take some risks with Williams between now and the season opener. Eberflus said the team will announce on Tuesday, July 30, whether they will play Williams and the rest of their starters against the Houston Texans in the 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game next Thursday, August 1.
Even if Williams does not play in the game, the Bears figure to play him at some point during the preseason given how valuable preseason reps can be for an NFL rookie. For reference, 2023 top pick Bryce Young played 35 snaps for Carolina in the preseason last year, while C.J. Stroud — the No. 2 overall pick in 2023 — played 25 snaps for Houston.
Montez Sweat Incident May be Good Sign for Bears
The Bears clearly do not want to see their defenders taking contact risks with Williams that could result in an injury, but Sweat receiving a warning about getting pieces of Williams in practice may actually signal good times ahead for the Bears defense.
The Bears traded a second-round pick for Sweat at last fall’s trade deadline and quickly signed him to a four-year, $98 million contract that makes him one of their defensive centerpieces for the foreseeable future. The defense, as a whole, also improved upon his arrival due to the pass-rushing prowess he brought to their trenches.
So while Sweat needs to watch out for potential friendly fire in practice, it is a good thing he is continuing to show pass-rushing dominance in his first camp in Chicago. The Bears will need him to remain a force off the edge for them in 2024, especially after making limited additions to the unit during the offseason. As things stand, the most meaningful newcomer on the defensive line is fifth-round rookie Austin Booker.
There is also the “iron sharpens iron” of Sweat’s dominance in practice. The Bears still have two young tackles hoping to further grow into their roles in 2024 between left tackle Braxton Jones and right tackle Darnell Wright. If Sweat is constantly hammering them in the summer, it should make them more equipped to handle business in the fall.
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