Caleb Williams has been working on Bears offense 'since early April'

Caleb Williams got a jump start on the Chicago Bears’ offense, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

With rookie minicamps underway, the No. 1 overall pick out of USC wanted to get acclimated ahead of taking the field. Fowler reported Williams worked with his personal quarterback coach to get the intricacies of the pro offense down.

It was a stark difference from Lincoln Riley’s offense at USC and Oklahoma over the last three years.

“He’s been getting acclimated in the offense, I’m told, for a while now,” Fowler said on SportsCenter. “His personal quarterback coach, Will Hewlet out of Florida, said that since early April, Williams has been working on Shane Waldron’s offense in Chicago.

“Not necessarily the playbook, but more the cadence, the verbiage, the footwork, the play action, things that will help them transition from Lincoln Riley’s offense at USC, which is more shotgun based, to some things under center. And Hewlett said that the pro game will suit Williams really well, that he knows he needs that protection, he’s all game for it.”

Good thing he worked early because Bears head coach Matt Eberflus already named Williams the starting quarterback.

“No conversation. He’s the starter,” Eberflus said Friday at the start of rookie minicamp, via Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

The Bears, coming off a 7-10 campaign, made Williams the No. 1 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft last month. Williams wrapped up his collegiate career with 10,082 yards, 93 touchdowns and 14 interceptions on 66.9% passing across one season at Oklahoma and two at USC. 

He won the Heisman Trophy in 2022 after throwing for 4,537 yards and 42 touchdowns and rushing for 382 yards and 10 scores.

Chicago has been busy this offseason giving Williams weapons to work with. In addition to having star wideout D.J. Moore and tight end Cole Kmet in place, the Bears signed running back D’Andre Swift and acquired receiver Keenan Allen from the Los Angeles Chargers earlier this offseason. 

Chicago selected former Washington receiver Rome Odunze with the No. 9 overall pick. Williams has already gotten to work with Moore, who tallied a career high 1,364 yards in his first season with the Bears last season.

“Anticipation is there,” Moore said of Williams, via NBC Sports Chicago. “You can tell that he’s expecting us to be open at a certain time. That’s gonna be one of the things that’s better. Just gotta be on the same page with him going forward. It’s just gonna take some time. Maybe it’s gonna be fast, or it might take some time. But I’m hoping it’s fast.”