After countless hours of preparation in OTAs, minicamps, training camp and the preseason, the Bears will finally play their first meaningful game in eight months Sunday when they open the season against the Panthers in Charlotte.
“It all matters now. Everything we did, everything we’re going to do on that [practice] field out here is going to matter on game day.” Caleb Williams
"You're excited to be here," quarterback Caleb Williams said Tuesday at Halas Hall. "It all matters now. Everything we did, everything we're going to do on that [practice] field out here is going to matter on game day. If things aren't right, we've got to fix it. And if things are right, we've got to maintain it."
Williams excelled in his first year working with coach Ben Johnson in 2025, leading the Bears to the NFC North title and a playoff win over the Packers while setting a franchise passing record with 3,942 yards.
Entering his second year in the offense, Williams was even more impressive in training camp and intends to carry that over into the regular season.
"Getting a new coach [last year], you're wondering how you're going to gel on game day, how things are going to work out," Williams said. "I would say that's the biggest thing [in Year 2], the confidence in myself and the playbook and the things that I know and recognizing defenses and checking the ball down, getting the ball into my guys' hands, delivering a good ball. I think that's where I've grown and where we've grown."
Johnson has seen Williams operate the offense at a high level this summer, especially "getting the snap and handing the ball off and throwing the ball to the right receiver."
"He's doing all the things that good quarterbacks do," Johnson said. "He's had a really good camp and I'm really looking forward to seeing how it comes together for him 17-plus games this year."
Williams remains ultra-confident in himself, his coach and his teammates. Asked what he feels most certain about, the third-year pro said: "Just knowing I can put the ball anywhere, knowing I've got special guys out there on the edges, wide receiver, their special talent, and knowing I have an ultimate coach and play-caller that supports me and supports us and calls plays to the best of his ability, but also calls plays to what we do best."
"When you have that," Williams added, "you've just got to go out there and execute and deliver a good ball and catch the rock and go be explosive."
Fun to watch
One of those special talents at receiver is Luther Burden III. The 2025 second-round pick blossomed into a key contributor over the second half of his rookie season, regularly displaying big-play ability and excellent run-after-catch skills. After averaging 1.9 receptions for 24.4 yards in his first seven games, he averaged 4.3 catches for 60.1 yards in his final eight regular-season contests.
Like Williams, Burden is confident that possessing a firmer grasp of the offense in Year 2 will translate into even more success.
"I feel a lot more comfortable," Burden said. "And I feel like it's going to show up because I will be able to just go out there and play; play fast and not worry about anything else but going out there and playing fast."
Burden is excited to be one of several skill-position playmakers along with receivers Rome Odunze, Kalif Raymond and Zavion Thomas; tight ends Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet; and running backs D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai.
"It's very fun to have a lot of weapons around me," Burden said. "A lot of guys can go out there and make all types of plays. It's going to be fun to watch."
Be the ball
Cornerback Tyrique Stevenson is so obsessed with producing interceptions and breaking up passes that he keeps two footballs in his locker and two in his car.
"I wake up with the ball in my mind," said Stevenson, who regularly made plays on the ball throughout training camp. "Shout out to [coach] Al [Harris], just mentally making it ball conscious. I think that just comes from I'm looking for it, and every chance I can get my hands on it, I'm going to get it."
In three seasons with the Bears, Stevenson has registered seven interceptions, 38 pass breakups, five forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He has flashed impact play ability, but coaches have urged him to perform with more consistency.
Asked what he has learned about accomplishing that objective, Stevenson said: "The little things matter. How you do the little things is how you do everything. From when I wake up in the morning till I go to bed at night, just be intentional about everything, and always do everything with something with a purpose. I think that's going to translate to off the field things and on the field."
