Highlights

• The Bears need to balance Williams’ preseason appearances to avoid injury while also helping him learn.

• According to the Bears coaches, he will do 45-55 reps.

• The Bears’ plan for Williams seems reasonable.

The Chicago Bears drafted quarterback Caleb Williams number 1 in the NFL Draft and are now faced with the age-old question of how to use the rookie in the preseason without risking injury.

This is a question that every team asks themselves in every preseason, of course, and it applies to all positions and to veterans and rookies alike. The question becomes even more difficult when it comes to a player who was not only drafted first, but also carries the weight of an entire fan base on his shoulders.

So how can – or should – the Bears find a way to get Williams the playing time he so desperately needs while also protecting him from injury?

Bears face the age-old dilemma of repetition vs. rest

Williams and the Bears offense have a chance to succeed, but the chemistry between them is crucial.

The Bears have already played one preseason game – a rain-shortened 21-17 win over the Houston Texans in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game. Chicago did not use Williams or any of its other regulars, in part because playing in the Hall of Fame Game meant the Bears had to play an extra preseason game this year.

In addition, the warm-up game took place just about a week and a half after the Bears arrived at training camp.

Putting Williams in the game so soon after he started his offensive experience may have been too early, aside from the risk of injury. It’s true that Williams has already been through rookie camp and OTAs, and the Bears could have called three running plays to just have him hand the ball off safely, but the team thought it was better to play it safe and give him a rest.

Along with every other planned starter.

According to ESPN, the Bears have been discussing how to best prepare Williams since the spring. Head coach Matt Eberflus recently said:

I know the guys last year had 45 to 55 reps. We’re looking at that range. We’ll see, but it always varies from week to week because you have to see what the health of your line is and where everyone is. But of course all of those experiences are equally valuable.

The Bears have announced that Williams and the other starters will play on Saturday against the Buffalo Bills. Eberflus did not say how long Williams or the other starters will play, other than that it will be a “series of snaps.”

We want to see good flow and rhythm. I think being able to move, maneuver, ride the pocket, escape to the outside, play B-gaps and all those things, be able to throw the ball, keep your eyes down and really just master the mechanics. In and out of the huddle. No penalties before the snap. Clean mechanics.

That doesn’t mean every starter will play, though. Cornerback Kyler Gordon, right guard Nate Davis, safety Jaylon Johnson, defensive end Montez Sweat and cornerback Tyrique Stevenson will all likely miss the game due to injury.

However, Williams is healthy and will play.

It seems reasonable to expect Williams to play at least two or three series and at most about a quarter or so. That’s the Bills’ plan — head coach Sean McDermott has said quarterback Josh Allen and the starters will play a quarter on Saturday.

That means fans will get their first look at Williams on Saturday — and he’ll get his first chance to see how fast an NFL game is. He’ll also have a chance to improve his pre-snap cadence, which has been a weakness.

The Bears will likely keep the playbook pretty much unchanged — few NFL teams want to show too many of their plays during the preseason. It’s also possible that, to reduce the risk of injury, Williams won’t be called upon to back away to pass very often. When pass plays are called, they’ll likely be easy throws that allow Williams to get rid of the ball quickly — or maybe the line will be maximally protected. Or maybe a running back or tight end will catch the ball.

The Bears will do their best to keep defensive hits on Williams to a minimum. We wouldn’t expect him to run often, either on designed runs or when a play goes wrong. It wouldn’t be surprising if the Bears coaching staff asks Williams to throw the ball away instead of running when a passing play goes wrong.

How will the Bears handle Williams after his game debut?

As for the remaining preseason games against the Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs, we expect the starters to play a half or maybe a little more against the Bengals – the second to last preseason game is usually the one in which the designated starters are used the most, while the last preseason game usually sees the starters play very little.

The Bears also have a joint practice with Cincinnati.

Eberflus and the Bears are not worried about how they will handle the situation until the start of the regular season.

We’ll go through that week by week. But when you think about it, all the reps are valuable because he’s going to be going against the (No. 1) defense. In preseason games, sometimes you don’t get as much exposure as you do in practice. So I think it’s just as valuable to go against the top guys every day and get some of those preseason reps in as well.

This is probably the plan we would follow. Use the next two matches to build Williams’ reputation and experience.

Use this time to work on his cadence and get him used to the speed of an NFL game.

Then back off in the final game to reduce the risk of injury and give him (and the other starters) extra rest before starting a grueling 17-game regular season.

Williams, for his part, knows that he has to learn, no matter how talented he is.

I expect myself to go out there. I think I’m the hardest on myself. I go out there and mess up a game… I’m hard on myself, but I’m also kind of understated about where we are and where I am. Progress, like I said, is key. Those bad times are not the time to doubt yourself. That’s a waste of time. It’s the time to keep growing, keep moving forward and keep believing in yourself.”

The Bears’ plan seems solid

Williams should be ready to go in Week 1.

In our view, the Bears must perform the same balancing act with Williams in the preseason that they would with any other player: give the player enough playing time to prepare for the season without unnecessarily exposing him to the risk of injury.

The Bears’ plan seems reasonable: give him enough practice in preseason games to learn, but not so much that he’s at risk for injury. The Bears also know that practice sessions will be just as valuable, especially when facing the Bears’ talented defense.

There is no right or wrong way to hire a rookie, but if there is a “right” way, that’s how the Bears seem to be handling it, at least so far.

Sources: ESPN, Yahoo! Sports/NBC Sports Chicago

All statistics courtesy of Pro Football Reference unless otherwise noted.