Caleb Williams out for Thursday’s Hall of Fame Game, but he’s been excelling in Chicago Bears training camp

Believe it or not, the 2024 NFL season kicks off Thursday with the Hall of Fame Game between the Houston Texans and Chicago Bears. Unfortunately, fans will have to wait a bit longer to see Caleb Williams in action, as he won’t play tomorrow night .

However, those who have gotten a chance to witness Williams practicing with his new team during Bears training camp have already seen several reasons to be excited about the season ahead. The No. 1 overall pick from the 2024 NFL Draft has yet to make his official debut, and there’s no telling when he will. But early training camp reports are already causing excitement in the Windy City.

Related: See where Caleb Williams lands in Sportsnaut’s NFL QB Rankings

Caleb Williams already looks like the franchise QB Chicago Bears have been waiting for

It’s always dangerous blowing training camp practices out of proportion. It’s much easier to practice against your own defenses than it is going up against others who can’t wait to pound their opponents into the turf.

However, it’s understandable for Chicago Bears fans to get hyped up about their future. Caleb Williams hasn’t shown any signs that the moment (even if it’s practice) is too big for him. In fact, he looks every bit as advertised as a special talent.

Yeah, that’s Mahomes-esque. It’s hard enough to stand in the pocket and deliver a perfectly accurate pass. But to do it while running nearly full speed while having only one foot on the ground? Incredible. It’s not what coaches would ever teach, but if Williams can do that, coaches won’t say a peep.

Williams won’t be perfect as a rookie—no one is. But much to Peyton Manning’s dismay , he also doesn’t look like a threat to break the NFL’s rookie interceptions record, and being surrounded by weapons won’t hurt either.

Of course, the real challenge is doing it in a live NFL regular season game. Yet, Williams hasn’t given the Bears any cause for concern. That’s quite different from last year’s No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young, who may be one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL right now . Meanwhile, Williams is a top candidate to win Offensive Rookie of the Year .

Even though we won’t see the former USC star play on Thursday night, we’ll get a heavy dose of Williams during HBO’s Hard Knocks this fall. If all goes well, we’ll also see him starting in Week 1 against the Tennessee Titans on September 8.

Related: 10 NFL teams that will disappoint in 2024, including the Philadelphia Eagles

More must-reads:

• Matthew Judon on new contract offer rumors ‘Don’t believe the lies’
• NFL QB Rankings 2024: From Patrick Mahomes to Gardner Minshew
• New York Jets star, Aaron Rodgers find best way to move on after public spat