(670 The Score) When the Bears' pivotal offseason began in January, there was great intrigue and uncertainty surrounding their future.
The Bears had to make a decision on head coach Matt Eberflus' job status, determine their future at quarterback, evaluate their options in an NFL Draft in which they held a pair of top-10 picks and assess the free-agent market for talent upgrades. At that time, it was unclear what form the team would take for the 2024 season.
Over the last six months, the Bears have fortified their roster and carry hopes to contend in the upcoming season.
When the Bears take the field for their first practice of training camp Saturday at Halas Hall, they'll begin a season of great anticipation. Their goal is to take a meaningful step toward sustained success this season.
Here are several key storylines as Bears training camp begins.
Williams looks to lay a foundation
When the Bears lined up their starting offense for the first time during quarterback Mitchell Trubisky’s rookie training camp in 2017, veteran Mike Glennon was under center. Trubisky watched from the sideline as the third-string quarterback.
When quarterback Justin Fields was in his rookie training camp in 2021, veteran Andy Dalton led the Bears’ first-team offense out to open practice. Fields was relegated to a backup role without a clear succession plan in place for when he would take over as the starter. The rest was history for both Trubisky and Fields, a pair of first-round picks who – for a number of reasons – didn't succeed in Chicago and didn't stand a chance in the minds of some.
On Saturday morning in Lake Forest, 22-year-old Caleb Williams will lead the Bears’ starting offense out to the field after being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The team wasted no time naming Williams as its starting quarterback this season.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles, Eberflus and the team’s coaching staff have been focused on making Williams' developmental process as smooth as possible, and a key part of the plan is giving him all of the first-team reps throughout the offseason program and in training camp.
As the No. 1 overall pick who's now playing in a city starving for quarterback greatness, Williams will step into the spotlight and face increased scrutiny. With that as context, the Bears understand that training camp is about building day by day while keeping the big-picture perspective in mind.
Williams will be tested each day by a defense looking to challenge – and frustrate – him. Initially, his focus will need to be on the foundational responsibilities of his job – breaking the huddle properly, offering proper pre-snap cadence, recognizing coverages and processing his reads. There’s no denying Williams’ immense talent, but the mental aspect of his position is a critical component that will be challenged by the faster speed of NFL defenses.
The Bears believe Williams showcased "outstanding" growth during the offseason program, as Eberflus put it.
“It’s about continuing to own the system, the operation,” Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron said. “With so many different things, you’re new to a system. Whether it’s the new coaches, new rookies, new free agents that have come in the door, the players that have been here in the past. There’s a lot of similarities in so many different offensive systems, but they’re not all exactly the same. The ownership of what every word means, with the goal being when we come to training camp and I say a certain term that clicks in right now in Caleb’s brain, he knows exactly what we’re talking about. We’re on the same page.”
If Williams can come out of his first NFL training camp with a mastery of the Bears’ system and his role in it, it will represent an important step for his future.
Top-5 defense?
The Bears believe they have a top-five defense in the league, and they’re out to prove it.
"You look at the great defenses,” safety Jaquan Brisker said. “The Baltimore Ravens, the Pittsburgh Steelers, you can name them. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Chicago Bears, you can name so many defenses. And their success has been creating turnovers, playing all together and being top five in all of those statistics."
The Bears defense played like one of the NFL's best late in the 2023 season after acquiring Pro Bowl pass rusher Montez Sweat in a trade with the Commanders. The unit returns most of its starting core, with the most notable change being at safety as two-time All-Pro veteran Kevin Byard was signed to replace seven-year starter Eddie Jackson.
What could ultimately define the Bears defense's success is the type of growth they get from key young players. Second-year defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr. will fill an important role as the leading three-technique. That position is the engine that drives Eberflus’ defensive identity. Rookie pass rusher Austin Booker will get an opportunity in his first year to prove he’s a starter in this league. Second-year cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, who had four interceptions as a rookie in 2023, will be asked to showcase even more progress.
For the mainstays of the defense, there can be no drop-off in performance if the Bears are to achieve their goals. Pro Bowl cornerback Jaylon Johnson bet on himself and won by producing a stellar 2023 season that led to a $76-million contract extension in March. He'll be counted on to shut down one side of the field once again. Sweat had 12.5 sacks in 2023, and he'll need to wreak havoc on opposing quarterbacks again. Brisker will need to stay healthy and play at a high level in the back end of the secondary.
The pieces are in place for the Bears to emerge as a top-five defense, but they'll need to prove it to back up their talk.
Year 3 for Eberflus
From his days as a linebackers coach and defensive coordinator to his time now as Bears head coach, Eberflus has placed an important emphasis on details. That preaching point is on display each practice.
Eberflus and his Bears coaching staff will spend much of training camp reinforcing the fundamentals, but whether the team gets the most out of the time before the season opener on Sept. 8 remains uncertain.
In 2023, the Bears started 0-4 and were outclassed in many regards early in the season. That reflected poorly upon Eberflus, who may have been fired in the middle of last season if he worked for another franchise.
Eberflus was retained for a third season in Chicago, in large part due to the turnaround the Bears had. They went 7-6 to finish the season – and though the final record wasn't impressive, the team's growth was evident.
The Bears can't afford to stumble out of the gates once again. They need a strong start to the season with the goal of building from there.
While this season is just the start for the Williams-led Bears, it’s a crucial year for Eberflus in which he must prove he’s the right man to lead the franchise forward.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670 .
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