Chicago Bears fans are thrilled that the 2025 NFL regular season is almost here, and the next step towards meaningful football happens this weekend with the start of the preseason. The Bears will kick off their exhibition slate against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday afternoon, leaving the fan base curious about which of the team's starters they'll see at Soldier Field this weekend.
Starting quarterback Caleb Williams will be among the players suiting up on Sunday; however, how much he'll play is unknown. First-year Bears head coach Ben Johnson said on Tuesday that his starters' snap count against the Dolphins is "to be determined," meaning Williams might play anything from a drive or two to perhaps an entire quarter.
Regardless of how much he'll play, Bears fans are just hoping for a better performance than what Williams has displayed in training camp. The 2024 first-overall selection struggled with accuracy in a recent practice, and he didn't hide his frustration, resulting in general manager Ryan Poles weighing in on his QB's woes this week.
Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears offense have looked choppy at times in training camp. I sat down with GM Ryan Poles to sort through legitimate reasons for concern and optimism as Williams and his unit aim for mastery of a brand-new offense. https://t.co/1sJwY9LszM
— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) August 7, 2025
Bears GM Ryan Poles Comments on QB Caleb Williams' Practice Woes
In an interview with ESPN's Courtney Cronin, Poles shockingly admitted that he thought Williams' blow-up was "pretty cool," indicating that the Bears GM isn't worried about the signal-caller's outlook.
"I knew there was a bad practice. I've seen clips on Twitter," Poles admitted. "I didn't know it was a national crisis of Caleb struggling." The 39-year-old executive even acknowledged that HC Johnson's new-look offense has played a role in Williams' woes, but he is confident the latter will turn things around.
"I think as a human being, I want it to happen super fast, and I would love for it to look really clean and for (Williams) to look like a fifth-year vet right now... It's going to take time. It's new."Ryan Poles, Bears GM
Fortunately, Williams' performances haven't been all bad, and he's even grabbed offensive coordinator Declan Doyle's attention. According to the Bears' new OC, the ex-USC Trojan looks best when he's dealt an unexpected hand.
"The best thing he does is the unscripted stuff, the two-minute stuff where he's able to go out and really play and show the competitiveness that makes him who he is," Doyle said.
Although being a first overall pick and franchise QB isn't easy, Williams proved that he can handle lofty expectations in his rookie campaign. The 23-year-old signal-caller completed 62.5% of passing attempts for 351 completions, 3,541 passing yards, 20 touchdowns to six interceptions, and an 87.8 passer rating. He also tallied the 11th-best run grade (80.4) among 76 eligible QBs on Pro Football Focus after converting 81 carries into 489 rushing yards.
With an offensively gifted mind like Johnson leading the team, Williams could blow those totals out of the water once he successfully adapts to his new coach's system. If that happens sooner rather than later, the Bears could be a legitimate threat in the NFC next season and beyond.