Caleb Williams, entering his second NFL season as the Chicago Bears‘ starting quarterback, faces growing scrutiny regarding his preseason performance. Drafted first overall in the 2024 NFL draft, Williams’ mixed rookie year has prompted concerns especially ahead of the Bears’ upcoming preseason game against the Buffalo Bills. Former NFLPA president Domonique Foxworth cautioned that poor play in this game could trigger serious doubts about Williams’ readiness and progress.
Concerns Raised Over Caleb Williams’ Upcoming Preseason Game
As the Bears prepare for their second preseason game in 2025, Foxworth spoke on ESPN’s “Get Up” about the potential consequences if Williams struggles against the Bills. Foxworth highlighted that while preseason games are often seen as practice, this particular matchup carries extra significance because it will be the first opportunity to evaluate Williams in the Bears’ new offensive system.
“I think we’ll all get a little bit more concerned, and to your point, these are practice games,” Foxworth said. “We wouldn’t lose our minds if he had a bad practice but if he goes out and has a bad showing in this game. It’ll be our first time having a look at him in this new offense and we expected this offense to make everything easier for him.”
—Domonique Foxworth, Former NFLPA President
Foxworth noted that the Bears’ preseason environment generally includes simpler defensive schemes like one or two-fire zones and limited complicated blitzes, designed to help young quarterbacks stay in control and execute on time. If Williams struggles under these conditions, it may diminish confidence in his development.
“If he struggles in a situation where the training wheels are on, which you’ll expect him to be in the preseason, and yours looking at defenses that are running one or two fire zones but aren’t running sophisticated, complicated, specifically game planned blitzes you’ll expect Caleb Williams to be in control and on time. If he doesn’t do that then I think people do get concerned.”
—Domonique Foxworth, Former NFLPA President
Bears’ Preseason Progress and Williams’ Challenges
The Chicago Bears began their preseason campaign with a tie against the Miami Dolphins. Since then, Williams has participated in joint practice sessions and training camp drills, aiming to improve after a rookie season where he was sacked 68 times—the highest in the league. Despite those challenges, Williams played in all 17 regular-season games, showing durability.
Head coach Ben Johnson intends to showcase his starters in the game against the Buffalo Bills, a strong <a href="https://www.buzzineintl.com/category/football/nfl/afc/”>AFC contender coached by Sean McDermott, making it a critical test for Williams and the Bears as they prepare for the 2025 regular season.
Upcoming Opportunities to Prove Improvement
Williams will look to demonstrate command of Johnson’s offense during the game against the Bills, facing a defense that could challenge his progress. Several offseason upgrades to the Bears’ offensive line and receiving corps aim to reduce pressure on their quarterback and potentially boost his effectiveness.
Following the Bills, the Bears will play one more preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs before opening their regular season against the Minnesota Vikings. These upcoming games are expected to give fans and analysts a clearer sense of Williams’ development and the Bears’ offensive outlook for the new season.