Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears had an eventful day in their joint practice against the Tennessee Titans ahead of their preseason finale on Saturday.
Williams’ status for that contest is undecided, but the QB drew attention with his (solicited) advice for Tennessee Titans QB Cam Ward after the shared session, during which he essentially urged his fellow former No. 1 overall pick to trust the process.
Made aware of Williams’ remarks, Ward responded.
Bears’ Caleb Williams Offers Words of Wisdom for Titans’ Cam Ward
Caleb Williams Shares Advice for Cam Ward After Bears-Titans Joint Practice
ESPN’s Turron Davenport asked Williams if he had any advice that he would give Ward, and the third-year Bears QB began with lofty praise for Titans offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, noting his experience in the league and “track record with quarterbacks, calling him “awesome.”
“Just believing and trusting in [Daboll], and what he’s coaching you and teaching you. And then, I think just being able to go out there and execute. I think we have some similarities in our game, and things like that, of being able to make big plays,” Williams told Davenport on August 27. “And just being able to keep consistent in making the small plays.
“I’m still working with myself, so I can’t speak on it too much, and things like that. But I would say those are the few things.”
Williams’ comments led some to point out his interaction with Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud during the 2024 season, in which the latter told the former to protect himself from big hits better, drawing backlash for trying to “big bro” the Bears QB.
Both have spoken about it as if it is behind them.
Williams has hinted at not forgetting what happened, though, including admitting that he was still working on what he was advising Ward to do.
Notably, Williams took his own advice last season with Bears head coach Ben Johnson. He did with the previous regime, too, but Williams has admitted wondering if Johnson even liked him when they first met. For the record, Johnson said that Williams was one of the reasons he chose the Bears in the first place.
That trust was part of how Williams was able to reduce his sack rate exponentially.
It did not hurt that the Bears upgraded his protection, specifically along their interior offensive line. Still, this was not a case of Williams speaking out of turn.
Cam Ward Gets Honest After Caleb Williams’ Comments
For his part, Ward said he already trusts Daboll fully after the former New York Giants head coach asked for his input during the pre-draft process this year. Ward spoke candidly, understanding Daboll has a lot on his plate, using that to underscore his point.
Ward also said that he had studied Williams’ progress from Year 1 to Year 2.
“I think the best thing about them [is] that they were from his [rookie] year to Year 2 is that they were way more efficient on first and second,” Ward told Davenport. “If you can keep yourself out of third and longs, that’s when you can potentially win a game. And that’s why I think that we’ve grown already with Daboll.
“I think we’ve become way more efficient. Even the OTAs through training camp, it’s very efficient on first and second down.”
The two QBs certainly seemed unaffected by the comments or the context.
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