After deciding to sit Caleb Williams and the first-team offense against the Houston Texans in the NFL Hall of Fame game last week, the Chicago Bears were expecting to play their rookie quarterback against the Buffalo Bills on Saturday.
The Bears' initial plan to start Williams on Saturday was in question considering the injuries to the offensive line. Veteran Nate Davis seems to be falling out of favor with head coach Matt Eberflus while second-year right tackle Darnell Wright had been dealing with an injury as well over the course of the past week.
Davis' lack of participation during Training Camp has led to some shuffling along the offensive line in recent practices. With the shuffling, there were questions about whether or not it would be worth it for the Bears to play Williams on Saturday.
Eberflus announced his decision after practice on Thursday as Williams and the Bears' offensive starters will indeed be playing on Saturday against the Bills.
Matt Eberflus says the starters will play against the Bills. #Bears
— Zack Pearson (@Zack_Pearson) August 8, 2024
Caleb Williams will make his NFL Preseason debut on Saturday
The expectation for Williams should be for him to play most of the first quarter on Saturday. Eberflus has previously said that the goal is for Williams to play between 45 and 55 snaps this preseason. It would seem that Williams will get a taste of the NFL experience this Saturday before his dress rehearsal for the regular season being the Bears' third preseason game, against the Cincinnati Bengals on August 17. The Bears will also have joint practices with the Bengals next week at Halas Hall.
Considering the questions that the Bears have on the offensive line, don't expect the scheme to be fully unlocked for Williams on Saturday. The importance of Saturday is for Williams to get a feel for the speed of game, likely involving a heavy emphasis on the run-game with screen passes and a shot or two down field.