LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Caleb Williams took the first steps of his NFL career as he led the Bears through rookie minicamp, marking a momentous day for a franchise that believes it has finally found its quarterback. 

It’s the dawn of a new day for the Bears, and the next phase in a transformational offseason leading to this anticipated new season. 

Here are the five takeaways from Bears rookie minicamp at Halas Hall:

1. QB1 has arrived for the Bears

Williams stepped onto the back fields of Halas Hall for the first time Friday morning having long prepared for this moment.  

It wasn’t just the weeks of work Williams put into becoming acclimated with the Bears’ scheme, verbiage, drops and cadences. The 22-year-old Williams has spent much of his adult life anticipating the day he would step in as a starting quarterback in the NFL. 

As part of their plan for Williams’ development, the Bears named him as their starting quarterback before he even threw a pass in practice. 

“No conversation,” Matt Eberflus said. “He’s the starter.” 

This was hardly a surprise given Williams’ status as a heralded prospect, though it’s significant for a franchise that has time and time again failed to produce its quarterback. The Bears haven’t been in such a position to develop a young arm like this one. 

Back in 2017, the Bears signed veteran Mike Glennon to a three-year, $45-million deal just a month before trading up to select Mitch Trubisky second overall. It was a rogue move by then-general manager Ryan Pace that left out former coach John Fox, who knew his fate would soon be sealed. Glennon lasted just four games in the starting role before his struggles forced in Trubisky.  

Three years ago, the Bears repeated their own mistakes as they signed Andy Dalton as the veteran stopgap to linger alongside top pick Justin Fields. Then-coach Matt Nagy cited his hopes for a seamless transition from Dalton to Fields as they formed in Kansas City with Alex Smith passing off the torch to Patrick Mahomes. Dalton was injured in just his second game and Fields was thrust into the starting role. 

When Williams first set foot in Halas Hall early last month for a top 30 visit, he wondered why the Bears haven’t had success with the quarterback position. Ryan Poles pointed to past missteps by his predecessors and presented his plan for Williams to lead the way as a rookie. 

With this in order, Williams will step under center with the Bears’ starting offense for the first snaps of OTAs next week. All of the plays, verbiage and steps Williams has studied, he can take into live action with Chicago’s first-team offense – challenged by the looks of a starting defense. 

Perhaps more importantly, Williams won’t feel forced aside as a rookie reserve. He has already been anointed as a starter and can begin preparing himself to lead this team. 

“Obviously, you have goals that you set for yourself right in the moment,” Williams said. “Also, you have goals for the future. So, that’s important. But understanding the moment that we’re in and being in that moment is really important. Taking it one step at a time, handling it the way that it needs to be handled and being a professional is really important. All of those go in one.  

“To be a great leader, you got to learn how to follow first. Right now, I’m following all the vets, following all the coaches. I’m listening, having both ears open and my mouth shut. Just kind of sitting back listening. And then when I get to the point of when I learn everything, when I learn the ways we do it, the culture the playbook and the offensive line, wide receivers, running backs, tight ends and all of that, then you can start taking the lead, then you can start taking the helm of all it and taking the next steps.  

“For right now, though, I’m listening more than I’m speaking and talking and I’m taking it one step at a time, being in the moment.” 

In preparation for Williams’ arrival as the top pick in this draft, the Bears formed a core on offense that includes six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Keenan Allen and dynamic rusher D’Andre Swift to join DJ Moore, Cole Kmet and those key players returning. They have a stout offensive line to protect Williams and continuity with scheme with Shane Waldron taking over as offensive coordinator. 

The Bears have surrounded Williams with talent on offense – difference-makers who can help him through this rookie season. But they also have brought in important sounding boards to offer support. 

There’s new quarterbacks coach Kerry Joseph, a former Canadian Football League champion and MVP quarterback who has earned high regards as an NFL assistant. Then there’s former NFL quarterback Ryan Griffin, a 10-year veteran in the league who was hired as an offensive assistant. Griffin will be a key presence for Williams during his rookie season. 

“I always think it’s important to have, especially at that position, guys that have played the position,” Eberflus said. “I think you can always glean a lot of information from those guys through those experiences. Either for where they were at, their own playing experience, or who they were with. I think that’s always important to be able to have at the quarterback spot.” 

During two days of rookie minicamp, Williams was among a group of four fellow draft classmates, nine undrafted free agent signings and 27 tryout players. His goal was to lead those around him and set the tone in practice. 

Williams’ next true test will come in the following weeks as he works with his veteran Bears teammates in OTAs and minicamp. He’s now the starting quarterback of a team with great expectations ahead. 

It’s all part of the plan for Williams’ track towards becoming a franchise quarterback, and he’s well prepared for this chance.

2. Maxx hopes for Booker

Immediately after he was selected by the Bears, Austin Booker knew well who would be coaching him. 

That is Bears defensive line coach Travis Smith, a respected assistant who coached star pass rusher Maxx Crosby with the Raiders. That struck Booker as he looked towards his NFL future. 

Booker sought Smith’s knowledge of Crosby’s ascension during his top 30 visit this spring. Days after he was drafted by the Bears, Booker was able to connect through the phone with Crosby. He’s eager to learn from him. 

“Everything I can,” Booker said. “Whether that’s nutrition or his mobility routine. If I can take whatever I can from him and all the other great players that I come about, just add that to my game.” 

Crosby was selected by the Raiders with the No. 106 overall pick in the fourth round as a raw but talented prospect out of Eastern Michigan. He has become a three-time Pro Bowl player and one of the game’s most relentless defensive forces. 

That is inspiring to Booker, who was selected by the Bears with the No. 144 overall pick in the fifth round. Chicago was out of draft capital for this year, but Poles was willing to trade back in for Booker, dealing a 2025 fourth-round pick to recoup a fifth-round selection. 

Booker is a fascinating young player for the Bears given his potential. He could’ve been a high draft pick in 2025 – perhaps even a first-round selection – but he was ready to declare this year.  

The Bears see Booker’s raw form as a positive, recognizing his room to grow. He’s certainly up for the task. 

Smith admires how Booker hopes to mold his game after Crosby, but he won’t entirely encourage it. 

“Kind of what he has to understand, no matter what the similarities are, the style they play, the effort they play with, some of the movement skills that they have, it really comes down to he’s got to be Austin Booker,” Smith said. “Because Maxx Crosby, the heart of Maxx Crosby is Maxx Crosby. Austin Booker has got to make his own name to be himself, and he’s got to set the standard of who he’s going to be. 

“I appreciate the young guys that like to watch NFL football and study a bit too. But also I want them to create their own identity.” 

Booker could play a key role for the Bears as a rookie if his development track allows it. This defense is still looking to solidify its other edge rusher position opposite Pro Bowl pass rusher Montez Sweat. 

The Bears could still seek to sign veteran pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue, who is not expected to reach a deal until closer to training camp. Ngakoue was Chicago’s second-leading pass rusher with 4 sacks in just 13 games. He has since recovered from a season-ending ankle injury suffered in December. 

But Booker’s play could fill that void. The Bears see him as a player who fits Eberflus’ defensive identity and a promising prospect vying to fulfill his potential. 

“I’m not sure I met a rookie that wasn’t raw,” said first-year Bears defensive coordinator Eric Washington. “And so, what we want to do is take what he can do and really hone and shape that, develop him, inform him of all the things that will allow him to play as fast and as physical as he possibly can play. Just build a player. Build a person and build a player.  

“He has a tremendous amount of energy. He never seems to be out of the play either early or as the play extends with the quarterback, especially as a rusher. And when you talk about slippery, it’s just hard for the protection, either the person assigned to him or whatever, to get a solid shot on him. He’s always rotating and flipping his hips at the right time so he can continue to advance toward the quarterback, and so he has that innate feel and ability. You’re not going to be able to get a consistent shot on him, and so that’s going to help him to continue to advance towards the quarterback. It’s a great thing.”

3. Striking the right balance on offense

The most important goal for new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron is to develop an offense around the rookie quarterback Williams. 

But that doesn’t mean this will become a pass-happy scheme, even with Williams, Allen, Moore, Kmet and this dynamic supporting cast. Waldron recognizes this is still a run-based scheme that should be built to beat a defense any way it can. 

“We want to be able to be multiple on offense,” Waldron said. “And so, with the addition of the wide receivers, having three receivers, two great established vets, we’ve got other young guys that are up and coming on the roster as well. It just allows us to continue to be multiple, allows us to on a week-by-week basis see what might be a matchup advantage or something that we can look to lean heavier towards. And with Cole (Kmet) and Gerald (Everett) and the other tight ends and (Khari Blasingame) at fullback, we got a lot of different pieces that we can utilize.  

“This is the time of year where we’re trying to figure out how is everyone going to carve out their individual role for this 2024 offense. And the more good players you can surround yourself with, the better you’re going to be as a coach, obviously, so it’s been a tremendous offseason of being able to do that and add different pieces and then the guys that are returning, they’re continuing to learn and grow and become better players as well. So, it will be fun to have all these different players and figuring out what their roles will be for the season.” 

The Bears turned to Waldron as their offensive coordinator in January following a detailed search that included nine known candidates. 

Waldron is a highly regarded offensive mind who will bring continuity in scheme but new ideas that can enhance this unit. The Bears have aggressively bolstered their core on offense this offseason with the anticipation of Williams’ arrival as their new quarterback. 

Now, it’s Waldron’s task to form this scheme around the weapons he has at his disposal. 

“That’s going to be the whole process,” Eberflus said. “What are guys good at? What can they handle? That’s the process for everybody on the roster – the tryout guys, everybody. We’re going to figure out what they can do, what they are good at. Then, we’ll enhance those things, and if they need to improve on something we’re going to work and have a plan to get those done too.”

4. Early injuries for Odunze, Amegadjie

It shouldn’t be cause for alarm that the Bears practiced Saturday without two of their rookie draft picks. 

Rookie wide receiver Rome Odunze, the No. 9 overall pick in this draft, was sidelined Saturday with hamstring tightness, while third-round tackle selection Kiran Amedgadjie did not work at all this weekend while nursing a quad injury. 

Odunze’s hamstring tightness must have flared up during practice Friday, though there was no clear injury suffered during practice. He was present Saturday with his fellow rookies and walking around the field without a clear limp. 

If Odzune’s hamstring causes him to miss time during OTAs or veteran minicamp in the next month, it will be a concerning setback. But May is undoubtedly the time to take precautions. 

Amedgadjie is still recovering from surgery last October for a quad injury and this was known by the Bears as they proceeded forward with selecting him in the third round.  

Amedgadjie is working with the Bears’ medical staff as he works back towards full strength. 

“We will see how everything plays out,” he said. “I’m going to trust them and trust their guidance on this. I’m not a doctor. I know how my body feels and how to communicate that with them. We will see as time goes on.”

5. Battle at center

Given how the Bears have formed their roster over these last three offseasons, there are few true position battles heading into the new season. 

But there is one that’s notable set to take place at center between veterans Coleman Shelton and Ryan Bates. 

Shelton, 28, signed with the Bears on a one-year, $3-million deal in March after starting all 17 games at center last season with the Rams. He’s a five-year NFL veteran who has played in 73 games (32 starts), winning a Super Bowl in Los Angeles. 

Bates, 27, is also a five-year veteran who played the start of his career with the Bills. Like Shelton, he has also played in 73 games (19 starts), working in at all five positions on the offensive line. The Bears dealt a fifth-round pick to acquire Bates, a selection which they later acquired back to draft Booker. 

Bears offensive line coach Chris Morgan sees that as an intriguing battle for this team. 

“We’re always competing,” Morgan said. “So, that’s exciting right now. Doug Kramer is playing his (rear end) off and working. We got three guys right there that can play center and play it well. 

“(Shelton and Bates) have played a lot of football, so it’s exciting. Both of them are good football players. They’re athletic, they’re smart, they’re both tough. So, they really add a lot to the room. It’s been a great transition so far.” 

The Bears are scheduled to begin OTAs next Monday at Halas Hall, with six practices scheduled. Veteran minicamp will be conducted June 4-6 and attendance is required for all players. 

Given the Bears are playing in the Aug. 1 Hall of Fame Game, they will begin training camp in mid-July this year. A formal reporting date has not yet been revealed.