Latest Caleb Williams playing time decision confirms Bears avoided a mistake

The Chicago Bears were hoping to get rookie quarterback Caleb Williams between 45 and 55 snaps during the preseason and they are sticking to that goal ahead of their preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday.

The Bears are set to play the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday in the penultimate game of the team's 2024 preseason schedule. Given that the Bears practiced with the Bengals today at Halas Hall, Cincinnati decided early in the week that their starters would not be playing in the Saturday game.

After practice on Thursday, Bears head coach Matt Eberflus made a different decision. Williams, along with the rest of the Bears' starters, will indeed play on Saturday against the Bengals.

Caleb Williams will play in the Bears' preseason game against the Bengals.

The move goes against the blueprint that Eberflus made last preseason. The Bears held multiple joint practices with the Indianapolis Colts last preseason in the week before the preseason game between the two teams. After those practices, Eberflus decided to sit Justin Fields and the Bears' starters for the exhibition game against the Colts.

It's worth noting that Fields did play in the Bears' preseason finale last year against the Buffalo Bills.

This was the best decision that Eberflus could have made. The biggest flaw in Eberflus's decision to sit Fields and the team's starters last preseason after joint practices with the Colts is that the offense looked flat to open the season. That same flatness is what Eberflus will need to avoid this season, as another 0-4 start to a season will all but guarantee his departure as the team's head coach.

The fact of the matter is that Williams needs reps prior to the start of the regular season. Williams had an impressive debut against the Buffalo Bills last weekend and another strong showing will ensure that there is momentum in the favor of the Bears' offense heading into the season.