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Declan Doyle shares telling story on Bears QB Caleb Williams’ work ethic

11 months agoScott Bair

This Bears offseason program will be hard. Head coach Ben Johnson has been crystal clear about that.

There’s plenty to do. New coaches must install new schemes and a new language, which players must learn and quickly apply. Then the adjustments will happen, with tinkering as roster and coaching staff get to know each other better.

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The acclimation process requires time in the lab and diligence in the meeting rooms and on the practice field.

Caleb Williams will have the most difficult offseason of anyone. The Bears quarterback seems to understand that, and he’s giving the time and effort required to lead his group through an arduous process.

Offensive coordinator Declan Doyle recently saw evidence of that on a trip to the Bears’ indoor practice facility.

“We’re giving him scripts,” Doyle said last week in a press conference. “He came in last Saturday and he’s in the indoor, trying to walk through it by himself.

“I think it’s really important to him that he gets it right. I think his teammates can feel that. I think his teammates feel a guy that’s trying to take the next step. It’s been a really positive exposure thus far.”

Doyle and Williams haven’t known each other long. While the coaching staff was hired in January, the players didn’t report to Halas Hall until early April. Offseason rules limit meeting and practice times in early phases, so Doyle and Williams still are learning about each other.

Positive impressions have been made, but moments like the run-in a few weeks back only solidify that Bears coaches are betting on the right guy.

“I would say that he is very eager to do work,” Doyle said. “He’s here after hours. He’s really trying to get it right.”

Coaches will use the spring to form a true Bears offense, not a carbon copy of what Johnson used in Detroit. There will be trial and error during that time, as plays that look good on the whiteboard don’t translate well to the practice field.

Williams must be ready to master all of it and provide feedback on designs he likes and believes can be executed well on game day. As Doyle said, the process requires tons of time and hard work, which Williams has shown willing to give.

“As we go through OTAs and training camp, we’re going to have a better feel for … this is actually what the offense looks like,” Doyle said. “We’re going to give them a lot and we’re going to narrow it down from there. We’re in the process of doing that right now.”

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