Caleb Williams’ Preseason Outing Is Not a Cause for Concern

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For a quarterback who has spent most of the offseason generating optimism around the Chicago Bears, Caleb Williams‘ first preseason appearance of 2026 was about as underwhelming as it gets.

Williams played just one series against the Cincinnati Bengals on Aug. 22, completing two of his five passes for 28 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. The Bears ultimately lost 27-9.

So, should Bears fans be concerned?

Not yet.

That doesn’t mean there weren’t legitimate concerns from Cincinnati; there were. But there is a difference between identifying areas to clean up and treating one possession as evidence of a larger problem.

The Box Score Does Not Tell the Full Story

If you only look at the box score, Williams’ night was not pretty.

Two completions on five attempts. Twenty-eight yards. No touchdown. A 58.8 passer rating. Those numbers are particularly concerning given that the Bears’ first-team offense was primarily facing Bengals backups.

But context matters. Williams’ first two throws were both completions. He connected with Rome Odunze for 18 yards before finding Colston Loveland for another 10. That moved the Bears into Cincinnati territory and gave the offense some early momentum.

Then things went downhill. A holding penalty on left tackle Braxton Jones put the Bears in a difficult situation, and Williams missed on his final three attempts. One of those incompletions was particularly frustrating: Williams overthrew Loveland near the goal line on a play where the tight end appeared to have a chance at a touchdown.

That’s the kind of throw Bears fans understandably want to see Williams make. It is also the kind of mistake that should be evaluated differently in August than it would be in September.

The Missed Touchdown to Loveland Deserves Scrutiny

If there is one play from Cincinnati that deserves legitimate scrutiny, it is the missed opportunity to Loveland.

Williams recognized that the Bengals had busted coverage and tried to take advantage. The problem was execution. The ball sailed too high, and what could have been a touchdown became an incompletion.

Williams himself acknowledged after the game that the coverage had changed the situation, while head coach Ben Johnson indicated that Williams should not have made that particular throw.

This is encouraging — not the mistake itself, but the fact that it gives Williams and Johnson something concrete to correct.

The Bears don’t need Williams to be perfect in the preseason. They need him to process quickly, make good decisions and consistently execute when the regular season arrives. One bad throw doesn’t invalidate that progress.

One Possession Does Not Erase Williams’ Growth

It’s important not to evaluate Williams’ development based on one preseason possession.

In 2025, Williams set the Bears’ franchise single-season passing record with 3,942 yards while throwing 27 touchdowns against just seven interceptions. He cut his sack total from a league-high 68 as a rookie down to 24. By any measure, it was a significant step forward.

Johnson has seen that growth continue into this offseason. Last year, Williams’ focus was on mastering the pre-snap operation — calling plays in the huddle, aligning teammates, and making checks at the line. This year, the focus has shifted to what happens after the snap, such as consistency and ball placement.

“I probably just see growth,” Johnson said during training camp. “He is so much more comfortable right now. His process is really clean. He’s doing the work behind the scenes that no one else is seeing and we’re starting to see the dividends being paid from it.”

Williams’ ability to extend plays and make difficult throws remains the foundation of what makes him so intriguing. One rough series in Cincinnati does not erase any of that.

The Preseason Exists for Exactly This

Williams’ missed touchdown opportunity against Cincinnati was a legitimate negative. His final three throws were inaccurate, and the Bears’ first-team offense didn’t exactly look like a polished machine.

However, he also completed his first two passes, moved the offense into scoring territory and played only one possession. The Bears’ coaching staff clearly viewed the outing as an opportunity for additional work rather than a referendum on Williams’ development.

Preseason football is about identifying problems before they become regular-season problems.

If Williams continues missing open receivers and looks uncomfortable running Johnson’s offense once meaningful games begin, then the conversation changes dramatically.

For right now, Bears fans shouldn’t be worrying about Williams based on one preseason possession.

The post Caleb Williams’ Preseason Outing Is Not a Cause for Concern appeared first on The Lead.

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