Bears quarterback Caleb Williams will have to balance urgency and patience while learning a new offense

LAKE FOREST — Since DJ Moore and Cole Kmet have been in the NFL, the two veterans have combined for one playoff appearance.

The Bears tight end made the postseason during his rookie year in 2020, which ended in a 21-9 loss to the Saints. Moore, who was drafted in the first round in 2018, is still seeking his opportunity to compete beyond the regular season.

So, it’s safe to say Kmet and Moore both have a sense of urgency as it relates to being competitive and also understanding the new scheme under offensive coordinator Shane Waldron.

When Kmet and Moore were asked about the realistic timeframe the two would need to get comfortable in Waldron’s offense, they made it abundantly clear during their Friday press conference at Halas Hall.

“Tomorrow,” Moore said.

“Yeah, now,” Kmet said. “Yeah, the urgency, we got to get this thing going quickly. There’s not going to be time to kind of meander through this thing. We got to get this thing going quickly here. We got to operate at a high level, we got to really take advantage of our walk-throughs when we get these things at night. The better we are through these things, the faster we will be on game day. But it’s got to happen quickly.”

That’s the right mindset to have without a doubt. However, the offense will not only feature a rookie quarterback, but the team is also still trying to figure out who exactly is going to start at center.

Clearly, that complicates things.

Still, Caleb Williams can relate with Kmet and Moore when he thinks about how quickly he wants to establish a downfield passing attack.

“I want to get it as fast as possible,” Willliams said. “Because it’s not just for me. It’s something we have to do throughout games. It’s something we have to do throughout practice and keep progressing. So me being able to grasp everything I can ultimately just helps our team reach our vision for this season.”

The key phrase Williams mentioned was “keep progressing,” because that is also how the rookie quarterback views the way in which he will develop in Waldron’s offense. Taking each day as its own and learning from the inevitable mistakes he will make.

“I’ve had rough days,” Williams said. “I expect myself to go out there. I think I’m the toughest on myself. I go out there and I’ll mess up a play. I’ve thrown a pick in minicamp and things like that. Being tough on myself but also having an understandment of where we are and where I am. The progression like I said before is key. Those bad times it’s not a time to have self doubt. That’s just a waste of time. It’s a time to keep growing, keep progressing and keep believing in yourself.”

Williams’ mature approach to adversity should help him as he navigates his first NFL training camp. And despite the veterans wanting to get rolling with the offense, Williams also understands how to stay patient with himself.

“So I’m not trying to match anyone,” Williams said. “That’s never the way that I kind of look at things. But I do have people like Cole and DJ that … I mean Cole will correct me when I’m wrong and things like that whether that’s in the huddle or we’re talking about stuff. Offensive line, we talk constantly about cadence. So it’s just trying to get the right rhythm and pace with these guys so we can keep going on that upward trend.”

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