Whether starters should play in the preseason is an argument as old as time.
Some argue the snaps are crucial to begin the year strong, while others believe the risk of injury is not worth the reward of extra snaps. Typically, younger players and those learning new schemes or fighting for a roster spot will receive more playing time in the preseason than others. Both of these things can be said of the Bears' roster as they have a lot of new faces in the building, including an entirely new coaching staff.
None of the starters played a week ago against the Dolphins, as Ben Johnson advised that the reps they got in before the game were more beneficial than the actual game. On top of this, the team practiced in full just one day after the game.
It has been a roller coaster of a training camp for Caleb Williams thus far, but he seems to be heading in the right direction as of late. The next step of the process will be seeing live reps in a game, which will be the case for the first time this weekend against the Bills.
The Caleb Williams/Ben Johnson debut
Bears fans have been fantasizing about what an offense can look like with the talent of Williams paired with the great offensive mind of Johnson, and they will get a glimpse of that on Sunday night. CBS Sports' Cody Benjamin says it is one of the biggest things to keep an eye on in week two of the preseason.
"A week after made his debut operating under new coach Liam Coen in Jacksonville, another former No. 1 overall draft pick is primed to show his stuff inside a brand-new offense, with Caleb Williams tabbed for his first game-day action at the direction of coach Ben Johnson. That may only mean a series or three of work, but it's something. Williams is notorious for his backyard-style playmaking, whereas Johnson was a calculated strategist with the rival . How they mesh in live action is one of the top storylines of the competitive NFC North, along with Williams' improved supporting cast."
It is still unknown just how much time Williams will see, but the reps will be beneficial regardless. If the offense comes out firing and marches down the field, maybe we only see a series or two. However, if the timing is off and we see trouble getting in and out of the huddle we can likely see more time to get things under control.
As Benjamin states, Williams has played backyard football for most of his career thus far, so it will be interesting to see if Johnson can reel him back a little and get him to play under script a little more. There should be a mix of this, however, as part of what makes Williams such a rare project at the quarterback position are the things he can do off-schedule.
Read more: ESPN gives Bears fans best-case and worst-case scenarios for team in 2025
This offense is not going to be firing on all cylinders right away, but the more reps Williams can get under his belt the quicker that process will be. Starting things off against a championship-level team in the Bills will be a great chance to see where the Bears stand currently as the season quickly approaches.