Veteran players left for the summer last week after mandatory minicamp, but coach Matt Eberflus held three more rookie sessions that he said allowed the coaches to slow down their teaching and explain concepts in detail.

Before they departed, Eberflus offered a message to the rookies, noting that more work needs to be done before training camp.

“Where we’re at right now is a place where we can’t be,” Eberflus said. “We’ve got to be at a level up. We’ve got to level up two spots in those four weeks in the preparation.”

After practice, Eberflus, offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, quarterback Caleb Williams and wide receiver Rome Odunze spoke to reporters about the offseason and what’s next before camp. Here are highlights from those sessions.

Caleb Williams watch

The Bears quarterback has only 34 days to fill between Wednesday’s official end of the offseason program and the rookie reporting date for training camp in mid-July. Williams has vowed to find a healthy balance between continuing his growth as a player while also finding time for decompression and leisure.

“You set a plan,” he said. “You set a routine before it happens so that you’re not in the process of trying to figure, ‘Oh, what’s going to happen (next)? When am I going to come back to work? What day am I going to start working? What day am I going to do this and that?’

“You set all that in place and then you stick to it. That’s the biggest thing for the offseason I’ve gotten from the older guys is set a plan, stick to it and go from there.”

Williams has been pushing to assemble a group trip — likely somewhere in Florida or California — for key offensive and defensive players to strengthen their chemistry on the field and their bond off of it. He said Wednesday his biggest accomplishment during his first seven weeks as a Bear was establishing an early connection with so many teammates, something he will continue to prioritize.

Photos: Inside Chicago Bears minicamp at Halas Hall

He understands his own responsibility, while crossing the bridge from OTAs to training camp, to heighten his mastery of the offense and all that will be required of him. With his coaches continually reminding him to stay grounded at this stage of development, the next steps, offensive coordinator Shane Waldron said, will require Williams to absorb the voluminous offense the Bears have given him while developing “continued ownership of the scheme and of the operation.”

“There is expectation there,” Waldron said. “Because that’s studying and that’s putting in the work — even though it’s downtime — on that relentless pursuit of finding the edge.

“And for him, finding that edge going into training camp is about being better than he was when he left here today without the benefit of practices. And that will be so much focused on studying, watching tape and then throwing and working on his fundamentals.”

Player in the spotlight

Odunze may be in the NFL now, but that doesn’t mean his mom is off the hook for helping him train.

He said one of his methods for learning, along with taking notes and watching film, is having his parents call out plays while he runs routes. And that won’t stop this summer now that he’s the No. 9 NFL draft pick.

“When I go back to Vegas, Mom is going to have to go to work,” Odunze said with a smile. “She’s going to have to be out there in that 115 degrees. She already knows that. But it’s all love. They want the best for me. They enjoy it.”

Over his break, Odunze plans to spend a week or two with family and friends while also working on his strength and conditioning because he isn’t where he wants to be from a physical standpoint. Then he’ll focus on training with the intention of returning to Lake Forest two weeks before camp starts to get into a routine.

Odunze got off to a slow start in his first professional offseason program because of a hamstring issue, which he said popped up because he didn’t prepare his body for the number of reps he’d be getting with his new team after the buildup to the draft.

But he recovered fairly quickly and was able to get in plenty of work with Williams against the Bears starting defense, which he said sharpened his skills. He also thinks being around veteran wide receivers Keenan Allen and DJ Moore has helped his growth.

Chicago Bears Q&A: With greater roster concerns, why sign Marcedes Lewis? Any off-the-radar players to watch this summer?

“It’s not even measurable the impact they can make on my career,” Odunze said. “Just being in the room with them for four weeks, I’ve already learned so much. So to be in a room with them throughout a whole season, learning from them in training camp, it’s just going to take my game to the next level and something I’m super excited about because it’s not often that you get to come on to the wing of a Hall of Famer and a soon-to-be Hall of Famer.”

Eberflus and Waldron said Odunze has picked up the offense and his understanding of all three receiver spots quickly.

“Some guys just have a knack to do it, right?” Eberlus said. “They can see the pictures, the drawings in the classroom, and they can apply that right to the field. He’s able to process a bunch of information at the same time and then take it to the field. He’s really good that way.”

Heard at Halas Hall

With so many new faces on the offense, relationship building was a focus during the offseason, and one of the most important unions is that of Waldron and Williams.

Since Williams arrived at Halas Hall at the beginning of May, Waldron said he has been struck by the quarterback’s ability to listen and desire to learn every day. Waldron has seen that in Williams’ readiness in the meeting room and in his texts at “all sorts of different times” asking about the “whys” of plays.

Williams said he and Waldron have been growing together, figuring out what works for them and how they will communicate when Williams is on the field or the sideline.

“That’s one of the most, if not the most, important relationships on the coaching staff and throughout this team for me to have is my OC,” Williams said. “And for us to be on the same page throughout this process and growing and learning (is key).”

Waldron also wants to get to understand Williams off the field.

“When the season starts, when there are different ups and downs during the season, I think the closer you are with people, the more willing you are to listen and overcome hard times during the season,” Waldron said. “So we’re just building up that armor, developing that relationship and just getting ready to go for this 2024 season.”

Quote of note

Eberflus on the value 40-year-old tight end Marcedes Lewis brings to the team after he re-signed this week: “He’s a tremendous leader who has a great way about him. And he has great wisdom and discernment. He helps everyone in the building, not just the players. He helps me in terms of having the feel for the team and where everybody is. He has been a tremendous leader since I’ve known him and we’re certainly excited to have him back.”

Injury update

Third-round pick Kiran Amegadjie remained unable to participate in on-field work during the final OTA sessions as he works his way back from quadriceps surgery in October.

Eberflus said the Bears project Amegadjie will be ready to get back on the field when training camp starts next month. If that’s the case, the rookie should be in line to compete for the swing offensive tackle role.

In the meantime, Eberflus said, Amegadjie has impressed the coaching staff with his retention of information and ability to understand protection responsibilities and blocking schemes.

The Bears announced the one-year deal with Lewis, 40, on Monday ahead of their final week of organized team activities.

The 6-foot-6, 267-pound Lewis played in all 17 games for the Bears in 2023, serving primarily as a blocking tight end while also making four catches for 29 yards and a touchdown. General manager Ryan Poles made it a point to single out Lewis for his leadership during Poles’ end-of-season news conference in January.

“That’s a special human being,” Poles said. “And I know he’s played a lot in this league, but he was a really key addition to our staff, our team and locker room. The leadership through some of the hard times, the things that he said to pull guys together was outstanding, and I’m really, really thankful for him.”

The Bears upgraded at tight end this offseason by signing free agent Gerald Everett to join starter Cole Kmet. They also have Stephen Carlson, Tommy Sweeney and rookie Brenden Bates on the roster.

Lewis played his first 12 seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars and five with the Green Bay Packers before joining the Bears. He has 436 catches for 5,113 yards and 40 touchdowns in his 18 seasons, including a career-best 58 catches for 700 yards and 10 touchdowns in a Pro Bowl season in 2010.

He takes pride in his role as an elite blocker at this stage of his career, and he sounded sure in January that he would return in that role with some team.

“My mental fortitude is something that I lean on and I can hang my hat on,” Lewis said as Bears players cleaned out their lockers at the end of the season.

“The stuff that I put on film this year is stuff that I can be proud of, and it’s crazy because I’ll be 40 in May, but when you watch the film, it doesn’t look like it. I just want to continue to get better this offseason. I’ve had the same routine for about 15, 16 years minus a couple things. Sometimes I add some things to my routine, but I’ll be ready to go when my number is called.”

Lewis has missed only one game in the last seven seasons, and his 268 career games rank third in NFL history among tight ends behind Jason Witten (271) and Tony Gonzalez (270) — a record Lewis appears likely to break this season.

Bears veterans left Lake Forest after the mandatory minicamp last week, and this week’s OTAs are mostly for rookies. But Lewis will be on board when training camp begins next month.

The Bears will hold one final session of organized team activities next week with only rookies in attendance. Coach Matt Eberflus said his staff will use the time to prepare the rookies for what they need to do before training camp.

“It’s just about relearning, reinstalling and then really setting the game plan for the summer plan,” Eberflus said. “How exactly do we go through those four weeks to make sure that our baseline is here, but now we can increase it two more steps in terms of knowledge of the scheme.”

For most of the 90-man roster, Thursday marked the end of the offseason program. After a week of competitive practices and insightful interview sessions, here are the highlights from minicamp.

Caleb Williams watch

Through the ups and downs of his first month with the Bears, rookie quarterback Caleb Williams tries to take a moment each day to remind himself that with all the talented skill players surrounding him, “we’re going to be pretty damn good.”

Then he puts his head down and gets back to work, striving for perfection when he knows it’s not possible at this stage of learning all about his new team and the offense. Williams is trying to find that balance between the confidence he needs to lead a team and the humility of understanding he has a long way to go.

Among the biggest challenges he has faced, he said after the final minicamp practice, is perfecting the cadence, an issue that has popped up in practices with false starts. He needs to nail down the verbiage, he said. And he needs to remain neutral and calm when mistakes happen.

“I didn’t come in necessarily with the expectation to seem like a 13-year vet,” Williams said. “I came in to show the guys that I’m here, I’m working my tail off, I’m progressing and trying not to make the same mistake again. … That’s been my biggest thing. And also understanding that I’m leading an organization and a team, so just having that mindset and being in that mind state and just trying to find my flow.”

Williams believes he has made progress with the cadence, making all of his reads and throwing with anticipation. He had beautiful back-to-back touchdown passes in the seven-on-seven periods Thursday, hitting DJ Moore over the middle and then perfectly placing a pass to a leaping Rome Odunze in the back left corner of the end zone amid tight coverage.

Photos: Inside Chicago Bears minicamp at Halas Hall

But later there were several incompletions in a full-team period when Williams went up against the first-team defense, as he has for much of the offseason. Eberflus said pitting Williams against the Bears starters will be beneficial, and it will be taken up a notch in training camp when the Bears have padded practices.

“Caleb is a talent, a very good talent,” Eberflus said. “His game will go to where it needs to be. I want him to see that in front of him, the windows closing, the variation of what we do on defense, and I want him to see that day in and day out so that when he gets to play somebody else, it will look like, ‘OK, I’ve been there, done that.’ That’s how we’re going to keep it.”

Through those challenges, Williams has appreciated support from teammates via texts, phone calls or words of encouragement on the field.

“Them just believing, seeing the vision that we all have,” Williams said. “And being graceful with me knowing that I’m pretty tough on myself, but they see right through it and understand that.”

News of the day

As the training camp schedule comes together, the Bears announced Thursday they will host a joint practice with the Cincinnati Bengals at Halas Hall on Aug. 15, two days before the teams meet in a preseason game at Soldier Field.

Eberflus has been collaborating with Bengals coach Zac Taylor on the logistics and said the teams will work through a variety of specific situations to squeeze the most out of the practice.

“I think it’s going to be awesome,” Eberflus said.

Last summer the Bears visited Westfield, Ind., for a pair of joint practices with the Indianapolis Colts and promoted the value of those sessions. The Bears will hold only one such practice with the Bengals but remain enthusiastic about what they can accomplish.

For the defense, the opportunity to compete against a high-powered Bengals offense led by quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins should be enjoyable.

“Those are always good tests,” linebacker T.J. Edwards said. “Those joint practices, man, they feel like games. It’s like you’re trying to see where you’re at and (how you) stack up. And that’s obviously a really good football team. So we’re excited.”

The joint practice with the Bengals will be the last of nine training camp practices open to the public. The others are on July 26, 27 and 30 and Aug. 4, 6, 7, 13 and 14. Rookies are scheduled to report July 16 with veterans reporting July 19. The first camp practice will be held July 20.

Seen and heard

There is no more appropriate category for the Bears defense, which continued to establish its presence during spring practices. Throughout OTAs and minicamp, the first-team defense consistently made plays — and then made noise, barking and chirping and creating added energy for a unit that hopes to be one of the best in the league in 2024.

“They look like a top-five defense,” veteran wide receiver Keenan Allen said. “They sound like a top-five defense too.”

Nickel cornerback Kyler Gordon noted the infectious nature of the defense’s collective enthusiasm and emphasized the value of turning up the volume for the offense to hear.

“It’s intimidating for other people,” he said. “We’re constantly running to the ball, all 11 hats. (We’re) communicating loud. I just feel like it brings a sense of ‘What are they doing?’ So I love it. Everyone’s saying something every day. Someone has some kind of energy everywhere.”

Cornerback Jaylon Johnson also used the word “intimidating.”

“It’s one thing to make plays, but when you’re talking after every play, you really start to see if somebody is going to stand up or if they’re going to fold,” Johnson said. “With execution comes energy. So I feel like for us to have that energy, we have to execute.”

Player in the spotlight

Johnson didn’t hesitate when asked what will motivate him this season after securing a four-year, $76 million contract extension in March.

“Being the best corner in the league,” he said Wednesday.

Johnson always has been forthright about his lofty goals. He reached one last season when he was named to the Pro Bowl and second-team Associated Press All-Pro for the first time. The honors came after a season in which he had a career-high four interceptions, including a pick-six, with 10 passes defended and a forced fumble.

Johnson believes growth in his football IQ and consistency helped him reach that career-best season. And he said his work and pride in his role won’t change after getting paid.

Safety Jaquan Brisker confirmed Johnson has been “the same guy every day.”

“We know what we’re going to get out of him every single day, and that’s what I appreciate,” Brisker said. “Even now, he’s working even harder. You can tell he’s not letting anything get to him. He has a chip on his shoulder. He wants to be the best and he doesn’t want any comparisons.”

Johnson and Brisker join Gordon and cornerback Tyrique Stevenson as returning starters in the secondary, which also added veteran safety Kevin Byard. Johnson believes the group is ascending.

“I feel like just having consistency within the guys, guys having a certain level of experience and a certain level of hunger and everybody just understanding what the standard is and what we want to accomplish,” Johnson said. “I feel like that allows us to play a lot faster, play a lot smarter.”

Johnson is interested to see how facing a revamped Bears offense will challenge him in practice, particularly facing six-time Pro Bowl selection Allen.

“Being able to see a guy like that and talk to him about certain things that he does and the reason why he does certain things, it’s definitely exciting for me,” Johnson said. “And then to be able to go against it because he’s a receiver that is unpredictable.

“As skillful as a lot of these guys are in this league that do a lot of great things, I feel like they are not as unpredictable, they are not as crafty as Keenan is. So being able to go against that every day, it’s something that can help me and DBs to get better.”

Injuries and attendance

Several players sat out the final day of practice, including Gordon, tight end Cole Kmet, offensive tackles Braxton Jones and Kiran Amegadjie, right guard Nate Davis, wide receivers Tyler Scott, Dante Pettis and Collin Johnson and defensive end Austin Booker.

Eberflus said the Bears don’t see any serious issues among the players who sat out.

Davis participated in a limited capacity Wednesday but was sidelined again Thursday. The Bears have used newcomers Matt Pryor and Ryan Bates at right guard with Davis out. Eberflus expects Davis to remain the starter but noted the  improved depth should benefit the Bears. Bates also has played center along with Coleman Shelton.

“The versatility there has certainly been helpful,” Eberflus said. “Ryan (Poles) did a really good job of having those pieces in there so (it’s not) like last year or prior years (when) a guy goes down and we’re like, ‘Oh, what are we going to do?’ At least we have that flexibility at the O-line position.”

The celebratory shouts of defensive ends DeMarcus Walker and Montez Sweat rose above the Halas Hall practice fields Tuesday as the defense harassed quarterback Caleb Williams and the offense during a full-team, two-minute drill at veteran minicamp.

The 32-year-old Allen simultaneously offered his respect for the showing and was irritated by it.

“They look like a top-five defense. They sound like a top-five defense too,” Allen said. “Defenses are annoying, especially at practice. You just hear them every time they make a play. It’s hoo-rah, celebration. It’s guys running up and down the sideline. So it’s annoying.

“The offense, we get a first down, one guy just trots around, he comes back to the huddle. Everybody is like, ‘OK, what’s the next play?’ You don’t really see too much, ‘Yeeeaaahh!’ … So it is what it is. Their energy, the way they communicate, the way they get lined up, definitely high-class.”

Williams, Allen and the Bears offense had their moments, too, during the start of the three-day minicamp. They were sharp in the first full-team drill and in seven-on-sevens, except for a Kevin Byard interception on which Williams took two hitches and was late throwing over the middle, coach Matt Eberflus said.

But there’s an understanding that the chemistry still is developing among the rookie quarterback, a host of new skill players and a new offensive coordinator.

And that, Allen said, is a process.

“I would say somewhere in there between camp (it comes together),” Allen said. “When everybody starts to understand the chemistry, how the coach likes to call the play, how the quarterback is going to progress through it, the way he sees it and everybody getting to the spots that are most comfortable, where people are supposed to be.”

Photos: Inside Chicago Bears minicamp at Halas Hall

After the Bears acquired Allen in March from the Los Angeles Chargers for a fourth-round draft pick, Allen went to Williams’ USC pro day and to a workout with the quarterback before the draft. He also was at Halas Hall before organized team activities began, getting to know his new teammates with group outings around Chicago and running routes on air with Williams.

And Allen expects to go on a trip somewhere to train with Williams between now and training camp, noting how important it is to understand teammates’ energy, how to make them competitive and what makes them tick.

But after Allen sat out the first two weeks of OTAs, he is just beginning to understand his quarterback.

“He’s obviously a guy who has tremendous talent, but it’s going to be a work in progress,” Allen said. “He just came out of college. The huddle call, having new terminology. For myself, some of the plays are the same but the terminology is different. … So you’ve just got to mix and match it, and he’s going to have to grow to it. It takes a while.

“The offense as a whole, everybody is experienced pretty much at every position except the quarterback position. So as long as we’re all talking to him, we’re all on the same page, we’re all communicating at the same level, there should be no problem.”

There also will be an adjustment for Allen, who totaled all 10,530 of his career receiving yards for the Chargers since they drafted him in the third round in 2013.

Allen is a North Carolina native, but he settled 14 years ago in California — where he played in college for Cal — so moving to a new area of the country, with his family still back home, will be a change. And he also is getting to know the workings of a new team.

Eberflus is confident the latter won’t be too difficult.

“He is a guy that’s been in several offenses, so he’s had to adapt and adjust,” Eberflus said. “He’s played X (receiver) and he’s played Z and he’s played F and he’s been on the move and he’s done a lot of things. So his experiences really help him to come into this spot and embrace this city and embrace the fans.

“That’s really where he’s going to feel it the most because of the passion of this area and the fans. He’ll really feel that. That will be different. But in terms of adjusting to the offense or a position, I think he can do that.”

Allen’s situation is unusual in that he’s coming off a career season in which he totaled 1,243 receiving yards in 13 games — and now is entering a contract year with a new team.

He said he plans to play football as long as he can, whether that’s with the Bears or another team. He doesn’t mind being in a prove-it year, noting that the wide receiver market “just got reset” with the four-year, $140 million contract Minnesota Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson signed.

But it’s tough to answer questions about an extension in Chicago already, though general manager Ryan Poles hasn’t ruled one out.

“As far as an extension, I’m going to let the play speak for itself, and if they offer me something that I like, we’ll go from there,” Allen said.

The Bears certainly are optimistic about what Allen can do in a wide receivers group that includes DJ Moore and rookie Rome Odunze, a trio Allen believes will feed off each other.

And Eberflus believes Allen will help feed Williams’ growth too.

“The first thing that comes to mind is that he’s crafty,” Eberflus said. “He is so crafty with his route running. It seems like he’s always open, even when I used to double cover him. …

“He understands his body. He’s really friendly to the quarterback because he’s a really big target and he’s very good at what he does.”

As the Bears continue their key offseason under rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, here are some highlights from the practice and interviews that followed.

Caleb Williams watch

Bears coach Matt Eberflus has stressed that the path to success for Williams will have plenty of peaks and valleys in his rookie season. A week after Williams and the Bears offense had a rocky performance at an OTAs practice open to the media, they were sharper Friday.

In 15 reps during a seven-on-seven period, Williams completed 13 passes, including a deep touchdown over the middle to DJ Moore that Williams celebrated with a dance. Williams had one incompletion, and one pass to Rome Odunze dropped but was flagged for pass interference. The Bears defense, however, was missing four starters from its secondary.

The defense gave the offense a bit more trouble in full-team periods, with Eberflus noting it’s hard to gauge defensive line pressure and offensive line protection without pads on. But in a two-minute drill, Williams moved the offense into field-goal range.

Eberflus said Williams’ week of practice hasn’t been perfect, but he sees progress.

“(It’s) just understanding the plays and how his feet are married to those plays, albeit if it’s just normal situations, if it’s play-action pass or in the red zone when it quickens up a little bit,” Eberflus said. “I think he really improved on that this week, and you could see the ball coming out of his hand pretty live when his feet were right.”

Eberflus stressed the Bears are doing a lot of “first-time things” with the offense but said experimentation with the offense and the players’ different skill sets are “vital for the process to understand who we have, what we have, how we’re going to operate, what’s going to be our formula for success going into training camp.”

News of the day

Eberflus was the defensive coordinator when the Indianapolis Colts were on “Hard Knocks: In Season” in 2021, so he was able to speak knowledgeably about the experience when he addressed the Bears players about their upcoming season on the HBO show, which will air during training camp.

Eberflus said he views the documentary series as a vehicle to showcase players and staff and their stories and wants the team to have a positive attitude about it. He said the Bears developed a plan to navigate the show and the attention that comes with it under the guidance of public relations leader Ted Crews, who joined the team as special advisor to Kevin Warren and chief administrative officer this offseason.

Photos: Inside Chicago Bears OTAs at Halas Hall

“No one changes how they act, no one changes what they do,” Eberflus said. “We just focus on our job, and they’re going to have special-interest stories that they do, which some of them are really good. And we have a lot of them here in our building, so I’m excited to see that.”

Eberflus said the biggest challenge with the show is the hard conversations that need to happen during training camp, and he believes some of those need to be done in private.

“What’s nice about it is we have a great plan in place for that,” Eberflus said. “Everybody who goes on ‘Hard Knocks’ has editing rights to what goes in and out and all those things, and that’s the standard.”

New Bears running back D’Andre Swift was on “Hard Knocks” with the Detroit Lions in 2022, and he made it known afterward he didn’t like the way his relationship with coach Duce Staley was portrayed. He said Friday he still thinks it was a cool experience and will try not to worry about the extra attention that comes with it.

“That’s what it is — it’s attention,” Swift said. “That’s a good outlook for the city, the team itself, as far as to bring eyes to the city and the team. For me personally, I don’t really worry about the cameras too much. I’ve got a job to do here every day, so I’m not really focused on it.”

The Bears were a prime candidate for the show because of Williams, and Eberflus said he thinks Williams has the tools to handle it.

“I do think he’s suited for that because he’s comfortable in his own skin, he knows who he is,” Eberflus said. “Again, he’s been out there for several years in terms of in the media, in the focus, the Heisman winner, all those things that he’s done. And he’ll be good.”

Player in the spotlight

As running back D’Andre Swift settles into offensive coordinator Shane Waldron’s new offense, he’s excited about the opportunities it will present for a variety of playmakers.

But he also is staying patient with it all coming together.

“It’s a complete offense, but it’s going to take work,” Swift said. “We’re all new here. Coaching staff is new, rookie quarterback. So it’s going to be a learning experience for everybody. I’m confident in the group that we have.”

After three seasons with the Lions and a career season with the Philadelphia Eagles in which he had 1,049 rushing yards in 2023, Swift joined the Bears this offseason on a three-year, $24 million contract. He comes in to lead a group that also includes Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson, but when asked what percentage of carries he’d like to get, he deferred to the team.

“Nowadays, you need that one-two, two-three (punch). You need multiple guys,” Swift said. “It’s a long season and there’s long games played. You need kind of a multi-back system for the season to keep guys fresh and that sort of thing.”

Eberflus said he thinks Swift has looked “really good” so far this offseason.

“He’s very quick,” Eberflus said. “He’s a weapon out of the backfield, which is outstanding for our passing game, and it’s going to create some mismatches for us. He can do a lot of things from the backfield. He can split them out wide and run the full route tree. He’s exciting to watch.”

Seen and heard

The Bears held a team-building event Thursday at The Club at Strawberry Creek golf course in Kenosha, Wis. Bears kicker Cairo Santos won the event in a playoff.

Stop us if you’ve heard this one before…

CAIRO FOR THE WIN pic.twitter.com/ZL2nvJCejO

— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) May 30, 2024

“Cairo Santos, Mr. Clutch, of course came through and made his par putt to win the championship,” Eberflus said. “It was a fun day overall. We’ve been really working on the guys just understanding mind, body and spirit during this whole offseason, and it’s really a way for us to interact outside of football and get closer together in our relationships and the bond that we have together.”

Eberflus said it was fun to see how far some players could hit the ball, including backup quarterback Brett Rypien, whom Eberflus said hit a drive 338 yards.

“That’s a looong distance,” Eberflus said. “So I was nowhere near that.”

Quote of note

“Man, just the talent jumps out at you. Somebody that’s willing to learn.” — Swift on his first impressions of Williams

Injury and participation watch

The Bears were missing multiple starters from practice Friday, though Eberflus again stressed the sessions were voluntary. He said some of the absent players were gone for personal and family reasons and noted the Bears are being extra cautious with injuries.

Veteran wide receiver Keenan Allen and defensive end Montez Sweat remained away from the team after neither was present at the first open OTAs practice. Offensive linemen Nate Davis and Kiran Amegadjie were present but did not practice. Linebacker T.J. Edwards and defensive end DeMarcus Walker also were held out.

The Bears were missing multiple starters from their secondary: Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon, Jaquan Brisker and Kevin Byard. Eberflus said they were gone for different reasons.

“It wasn’t a day off of school,” Eberflus said. “It’s just personal and different reasons.”

Eberflus expects full attendance next week at the mandatory minicamp.

Away from the field, the organization continues its push to build a new stadium with its current efforts focused on the museum campus downtown. And in August, three former stars — Devin Hester, Steve McMichael and Julius Peppers — will be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of its Class of 2024.

So why not give these Bears in this moment a brighter spotlight? HBO plans to do just that by featuring the Bears in the popular NFL documentary series “Hard Knocks” during training camp this summer, the team announced Thursday.

The first hourlong episode of the five-part series will air at 8 p.m. Aug. 6 on all HBO platforms. The show will continue to run Tuesdays at 8 p.m. until Sept. 3.

“’Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Chicago Bears’ will provide our passionate fans across the world the ability to experience this unique and critical time in the history of our franchise,” Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren said in a statement.

Narrated by Liev Schreiber, “Hard Knocks” first launched in 2001, following the Baltimore Ravens through camp. The Bears will be featured on the 19th edition of the series after the New York Jets were showcased last summer and the Miami Dolphins were chronicled during an in-season version of the documentary in 2023 and the New York Giants will be featured this summer in an offseason edition of “Hard Knocks,” which debuts July 2.

At the NFL owners meetings in March, Bears Chairman George McCaskey reiterated his longstanding aversion to the team being featured on the show.

“We’re told there is some interest in other teams being on the program,” McCaskey said, “and we welcome that interest.”

General manager Ryan Poles has expressed similar hesitance about the program. But Warren was less firm on shooting down the team’s interest in participating in the series back in March.

Asked about his interest in the team being featured on “Hard Knocks,” Warren laughed and paused.

“That’s always interesting,” he said. “I have interests in making sure that the NFL stays strong and vibrant.”

Now, the Bears will lean into the “Hard Knocks” experience.

Here’s a look at the week-by-week itinerary, along with predictions on each game from the Tribune’s Bears writers.

Week 1: Bears vs. Titans

Sunday, Sept. 8, noon, Fox-32

This is where it all begins for Caleb Williams. It feels like a friendly ease-in game for the rookie against an opponent that lost 11 games last season. Still, the Titans used the 10-meter platform to make big splashes this offseason, signing a horde of big-name free agents including Calvin Ridley, Tony Pollard, Lloyd Cushenberry and Chidobie Awuzie. They also traded for standout cornerback L’Jarius Snead and added offensive tackle JC Latham in the top 10 of the draft.

• Brad Biggs: Bears
• Colleen Kane: Bears
• Dan Wiederer: Bears

Week 2: Bears at Texans

Sunday, Sept. 15, 7:20 p.m., NBC-5

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C.J. Stroud reset the bar for rookie quarterbacks last season. He threw for 4,108 yards and 23 touchdowns, earned Pro Bowl honors and led a Texans franchise that went 3-13-1 the previous season to the AFC South title and a playoff win. Your move, Caleb Williams.

• Biggs: Texans
• Kane: Texans
• Wiederer: Texans

Week 3: Bears at Colts

Sunday, Sept. 22, noon, CBS-2

Current events note: This will be the third consecutive game against an AFC South opponent to open the year. Ancient history note: The last time the Bears played a regular-season game at Lucas Oil Stadium in October 2016, it looked — from the hot-dog-laden press box, at least — like Brian Hoyer failed to see Alshon Jeffery open for what could have been a game-winning 28-yard touchdown pass in the final two minutes. The Bears lost 29-23.

• Biggs: Bears
• Kane: Bears
• Wiederer: Bears

Week 4: Bears vs. Rams

Sunday, Sept. 29, noon, Fox-32

The rebuilding formula for Rams general manager Les Snead has involved drafting 24 players in the last 13 months. The headliner of this year’s rookie class is defensive end Jared Verse, the organization’s first first-round pick since it drafted Jared Goff at No. 1 in 2016.

• Biggs: Rams
• Kane: Rams
• Wiederer: Rams

Week 5: Bears vs. Panthers

Sunday, Oct. 6, noon, Fox-32

For those keeping track, the current return for the Bears from trading the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft to Carolina is wide receiver DJ Moore, right tackle Darnell Wright, cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, quarterback Caleb Williams and punter Tory Taylor. Oh, and the Bears own the Panthers’ second-round selection next spring as icing on the cake.

• Biggs: Bears
• Kane: Bears
• Wiederer: Bears

Week 6: Bears vs. Jaguars at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London

Sunday, Oct. 13, 8:30 a.m., NFL Network

In addition to a 1986 exhibition in London, the Bears have played two regular-season games across the pond, beating the Buccaneers in 2011 and falling to the Raiders in 2019. On this trip they’ll face a Trevor Lawrence-led Jaguars team playing the first of two games in England over eight days. Jacksonville enters the season 6-5 all time in London and will “host” the Patriots at Wembley Stadium in Week 7.

• Biggs: Jaguars
• Kane: Jaguars
• Wiederer: Jaguars

Week 7: Bye week

The Bears had their open date in December in each of the last two seasons but will get the traditional recovery week after the return from London.

Week 8: Bears at Commanders

Sunday, Oct. 27, noon, CBS-2

The top two picks in this year’s draft square off. Some pockets of the league believe Jayden Daniels is a more complete quarterback than Caleb Williams and should have received more serious consideration by the Bears at No. 1. Daniels went No. 2 to Washington and will challenge the Bears with his football intelligence, passing production and speed.

• Biggs: Bears
• Kane: Bears
• Wiederer: Bears

Week 9: Bears at Cardinals

Sunday, Nov. 3, 3:05 p.m., CBS-2

Bears GM Ryan Poles and his Cardinals counterpart, Monti Ossenfort, can have a good Sunday morning discussion about who landed the more complete rookie wide receiver in the top 10 of the draft. Then Marvin Harrison Jr. and Rome Odunze can help settle that debate inside State Farm Stadium.

• Biggs: Bears
• Kane: Bears
• Wiederer: Bears

Week 10: Bears vs. Patriots

Sunday, Nov. 10, noon, Fox-32

It’s a whole new world in Foxborough, Mass., where Jerod Mayo is stepping into the head coaching role Bill Belichick held for the previous 24 seasons. Mayo and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt will help oversee the development of No. 3 pick Drake Maye as the team’s quarterback of the future. The Patriots quarterback of the present, meanwhile, is Jacoby Brissett.

• Biggs: Bears
• Kane: Bears
• Wiederer: Bears

Week 11: Bears vs. Packers

Sunday, Nov. 17, noon, Fox-32

The Bears have lost 10 straight to the Packers, dating to a colossal dud in the 2019 season opener. Consider this yet another chance to turn the tide. It’s also a big test during what could become a pivotal 12-day stretch for the Bears in the NFC North.

• Biggs: Packers
• Kane: Bears
• Wiederer: Bears

Week 12: Bears vs. Vikings

Sunday, Nov. 24, noon, Fox-32

The Vikings selected their quarterback of the future at No. 10 last month, drafting La Grange Park native J.J. McCarthy. The question now is how quickly McCarthy will leapfrog veteran Sam Darnold as QB1.

• Biggs: Bears
• Kane: Bears
• Wiederer: Vikings

Week 13: Bears at Lions

Thursday, Nov. 28, 11:30 a.m., CBS-2

Finish up your Turkey Trot and get to the couch early. It’s another Thanksgiving showdown for the Bears at Ford Field, the team’s fifth trip to Detroit for Thanksgiving in the last 11 seasons. Also of note: The Bears blew a 12-point lead in the final four minutes during a galling loss in Motown last November.

• Biggs: Lions
• Kane: Lions
• Wiederer: Lions

Week 14: Bears at 49ers

Sunday, Dec. 8, 3:25 p.m., Fox-32

The Bears are working hard to open a window of sustained championship contention. The 49ers are square in the middle of theirs — though still stinging from an overtime Super Bowl loss to the Chiefs. Still, if the Bears defense needs a good measuring-stick game, a date with Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle and Trent Williams fits.

• Biggs: 49ers
• Kane: 49ers
• Wiederer: 49ers

Week 15: Bears at Vikings

Monday, Dec. 16, 7:15 p.m., ABC-7

Bears Vikings

The “Monday Night Football” stage awaits. And presumably the Bears will be squarely “in the hunt” for a playoff berth as the NFC North race heats up during the Christmas season. The Bears have won four of their last six at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, including a walk-off 12-10 victory on a Monday night in December last season.

• Biggs: Bears
• Kane: Bears
• Wiederer: Bears

Week 16: Bears vs. Lions

Sunday, Dec. 22, noon, Fox-32

Rams Lions Football

When the Lions traded Matthew Stafford for Jared Goff three years ago, many expected Goff would be a placeholder until Detroit found its quarterback of the future. This week Goff signed his third NFL contract, agreeing to a four-year, $212 million extension as the Lions vie to become an NFC powerhouse for years to come.

• Biggs: Bears
• Kane: Lions
• Wiederer: Lions

Week 17: Bears vs. Seahawks

Thursday, Dec. 26, 7:15 p.m., Prime Video

A second Thursday nighter will bring another quick turnaround for the Bears. Of the eight teams that underwent head coaching changes this offseason, five are on the Bears schedule in 2024. Mike Macdonald — who replaced Pete Carroll in Seattle — will bring his team to Soldier Field the day after Christmas.

• Biggs: Bears
• Kane: Bears
• Wiederer: Bears

Week 18: Bears at Packers

Saturday, Jan. 4, or Sunday, Jan. 5, TBD

Bears vs Packers

If the stars align, the stakes for the season finale will be huge. Caleb Williams grew up idolizing Aaron Rodgers, who won four MVP awards, eight division titles and one Super Bowl during 15 seasons starting for the Packers. Now Williams gets his first opportunity to play at Lambeau Field.

• Biggs: Packers
• Kane: Packers
• Wiederer: Packers

2024 season predictions

Brad Biggs: 10-7

If the Bears develop in the manner they believe is possible, the stretch run of the season beginning on Thanksgiving in Detroit will be a great challenge for a young roster that will have to learn how to win meaningful games. The game at Ford Field against the defending NFC North champions begins a stretch of three straight road games, and the Bears will have the Lions twice, the defending NFC champion 49ers and the Packers in the final six games. It’s the kind of stretch that can define a season in a schedule with some quirks, including three consecutive home games early — though one comes with an asterisk at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London against the Jaguars.

Extra time to prepare for the Dec. 8 game at San Francisco coming out of Thanksgiving will help, and there’s a long week before playing at Minnesota on “Monday Night Football” on Dec. 16. Of course that leaves a short week to prep for the Lions at Soldier Field on Dec. 22. If the season goes the way the Bears hope — if the arrival of Caleb Williams really sparks something — maybe that Week 18 game in Green Bay would be flexed to prime time. Because how can the Bears have a remarkable season and not tussle with the Packers in prime time?

Colleen Kane: 10-7

The NFL gifted Chicago with a home opener against a beatable Titans team for Caleb Williams’ regular-season debut. And then the league gifted the national audience with a matchup of Williams against C.J. Stroud, the 2023 offensive rookie of the year, in Week 2. That game won’t be easy, but against a manageable early schedule, the Bears have a chance to get to their Week 7 bye at .500 — or maybe a little better depending on how they handle their first London trip since 2019 in Week 6. The Jaguars have more experience in international games, and that could give them a leg up.

After the bye, the trip to play the Commanders and new quarterback Jayden Daniels is fun, and the trip to play the 49ers in December is … formidable. It could be the toughest test the Bears face all season. The meat of the second half of the schedule comes with all six NFC North games after Week 10. That means the Bears will have a tough final stretch against the Lions and Packers to earn a playoff berth. But it also means Williams and the revamped Bears offense will have time to click before facing their division rivals.

The Thanksgiving meeting with the Lions should be one of the biggest of the year. And in my opinion, the Bears regular season always should end with the Packers. A January 2025 trip to Lambeau Field — where the Bears last won in 2015 — seems like the perfect place to prove this is a new Bears era.

Dan Wiederer: 9-8

The fun is back in Chicago for what sets up to be a compelling season, starting with Caleb Williams’ debut — a very winnable home game against the Titans. That should have Bears fans at full tilt right out of the gates. It also will be the first of three consecutive games against AFC South opponents to open the year, a schedule abnormality that should allow Williams and the Bears to build early momentum.

Still, for a team like the Bears, now five seasons removed from their last winning season, there isn’t the luxury yet of having a full slate of should-win opportunities. This remains an on-the-rise team that must remain ultrafocused for every step of its treacherous climb.

Ten of the Bears’ 17 games this season come against teams that finished above .500 last season, including six against opponents that won at least one playoff game. Also on the schedule: seven opposing starting quarterbacks who have received Pro Bowl recognition in their careers and three other quarterbacks who were drafted in the top 10 last month.

There’s every reason to believe the Bears can take a significant step forward this season and emerge as a legitimate playoff contender. The fate of the season, though, likely hinges on how well they navigate a closing stretch that includes all six NFC North games over the final eight weeks.

In Week 2 of his rookie year, Williams will be featured in prime time against the Houston Texans and quarterback C.J. Stroud, the 2023 offensive rookie of the year. That game at NRG Stadium in Houston will be played on NBC’s “Sunday Night Football.” The Bears will follow with a trip to face coach Matt Eberflus’ former team, the Indianapolis Colts.

Chicago Bears 2024 schedule: Here’s who they’ll play — and our predictions for each game

The Texans meeting is one of three prime-time games for the revamped Bears in 2024, along with a “Monday Night Football” matchup against the Vikings in Minnesota on Dec. 16 and a “Thursday Night Football” game against the Seattle Seahawks on Dec. 26 at Soldier Field.

Along with the prime-time games, the Bears will play two other featured games — Oct. 13 against the Jacksonville Jaguars at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Nov. 28 against the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving at Ford Field.

The NFL announced Wednesday morning that the London game is slated for Week 6, which will be followed by a Week 7 bye for the Bears. It will be the first of back-to-back London games for the Jaguars, who will play the New England Patriots the following week at Wembley Stadium.

The Bears haven’t played an international game since a group led by Khalil Mack and Chase Daniel lost 24-21 to the then-Oakland Raiders on Oct. 6, 2019, also at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Bears also played a regular-season game in London in 2011 and a preseason game there in 1986.

The Bears will be the host for this year’s London game, meaning they’ll have only eight home dates at Soldier Field.

That will include three straight home games in Weeks 10-12 against the Patriots, Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings. The Bears will host the defending NFC North champion Lions in Week 16.

The season moves pretty fast.

If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. pic.twitter.com/MpXMPEcTD6

— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) May 16, 2024

The Bears and Lions will meet on Thanksgiving in Detroit for the first time since 2021. That game was part of a stretch of three Thanksgiving meetings with the Lions in four years.

The Bears’ six NFC North games fall within the last eight weeks of the season.

Other notable road games include back-to-back trips to play the Washington Commanders and Arizona Cardinals in Weeks 8-9, a Dec. 8 visit to play the San Francisco 49ers and the season finale against the Packers at Lambeau Field.

2024 Bears schedule

• Week 1: vs. Titans, Sunday, Sept. 8 (noon, Fox-32)
• Week 2: at Texans, Sunday, Sept. 15 (7:20 p.m., NBC-5)
• Week 3: at Colts, Sunday, Sept. 22 (noon, CBS-2)
• Week 4: vs. Rams, Sunday, Sept. 29 (noon, Fox-32)
• Week 5: vs. Panthers, Sunday, Oct. 6 (noon, Fox-32)
• Week 6: vs. Jaguars in London, Sunday, Oct. 13 (8:30 a.m., NFL Network)
• Week 7: Bye week
• Week 8: at Commanders, Sunday, Oct. 27 (noon, CBS-2)
  
• Week 9: at Cardinals, Sunday, Nov. 3 (3:05 p.m., CBS-2)
• Week 10: vs. Patriots, Sunday, Nov. 10 (noon, Fox-32)
• Week 11: vs. Packers, Sunday, Nov. 17 (noon, Fox-32)
• Week 12: vs. Vikings, Sunday, Nov. 24 (noon, Fox-32)
• Week 13: at Lions, Thursday, Nov. 28 (11:30 a.m., CBS-2)
• Week 14: at 49ers, Sunday, Dec. 8 (3:25 p.m., Fox-32)
• Week 15: at Vikings, Monday, Dec. 16 (7:15 p.m., ABC-7)
• Week 16: vs. Lions, Sunday, Dec. 22 (noon, Fox-32)
• Week 17: vs. Seahawks, Thursday, Dec. 26 (7:15 p.m., Prime Video)
• Week 18: at Packers, TBD

2024 Bears preseason schedule

• Game 1: vs. Texans at Canton, Ohio, Thursday, Aug. 1 (7 p.m.)
• Game 2: at Bills, Saturday, Aug. 10 (noon)
• Game 3: vs. Bengals, Saturday, Aug. 17 (noon)
• Game 4: at Chiefs, Thursday, 7 Aug. 22 (7 p.m.)

All times Central

The interview sessions included several new coaches under offensive coordinator Shane Waldron: passing game coordinator Thomas Brown, quarterbacks coach Kerry Joseph, wide receivers coach Chris Beatty and running backs coach Chad Morton.

Here are five things we heard from the coaches.

1. Caleb Williams already has demonstrated his hunger to learn.

Joseph received the texts at 10:30 or 11 p.m. Friday. Williams was studying the offense, and the rookie quarterback had questions: “Hey, why are we doing this here? Why are we blocking it like that? Isn’t that his guy to block?”

Joseph saw those texts as an example of Williams’ drive to learn all of the information he needs to lead the team. Williams said Friday his goal was to become so thoroughly versed in the offense that he could help other rookies.

“He’s one of those guys who wants to know why,” Joseph said. “You put something in, you put a play in, you talk about it, you give him the progressions, whether it’s run or pass, he wants to know why.

“When you have a guy like that, he’s hungry for it, and you love to know that — because now he becomes a coach on the field for you. Once he gets it and learns this whole system, he’ll become a coach on the field.”

Joseph called Williams dialed in and focused and said he has been in the building early as he tries to build his knowledge base. Joseph’s comments jibe with what USC coach Lincoln Riley said on draft weekend about Williams’ constant quest for constructive feedback.

“I don’t know that I’ve had any player that came up to me more and just wanted to sit down and talk about how he could get better — outside of just the normal position meeting,” Riley said then. “We were together all the time. But he just always wanted to be talking about that and always wanted more.”

Photos: Inside Chicago Bears rookie minicamp at Halas Hall

2. Rome Odunze could benefit in several ways from playing alongside veterans Keenan Allen and DJ Moore.

Beatty said he didn’t know if Odunze, the No. 9 pick out of Washington, could find two better mentors than he has in Allen and Moore, who are entering their 12th and seventh NFL seasons, respectively. Beatty especially likes that Odunze will get to learn from receivers with contrasting skill sets.

“DJ is like a bull in a china shop, and Keenan is like paint the edges on Picasso. At the end of the day, you get every angle,” Beatty said. “And Rome is kind of in between. There are times when he’s rugged and rough like DJ, and then there’s part of his game that’s intricate like Keenan.

“I think he can learn from both of them because his skill set is a little bit in between them, and it gives him a chance to be able to learn from two of the best in the business.”

Odunze joins a pair of receivers who both topped 1,200 yards in 2023. While that might take some of the pressure off the rookie on the field, Beatty believes Odunze will benefit from a different type of pressure.

“He does have the benefit of not having to jump out there and be the No. 1 on Day 1, like happens a lot of times,” Beatty said. “But there’s still pressure, whether it’s external pressure or internal pressure, and I think a lot of it is internal.

“As a coach, I stepped into a room with Keenan Allen like, ‘Hey, there’s some pressure on me to make sure I’m making him better, that he doesn’t just dismiss me because he knows it already. I’ve got to bring value to him.’ It’s the same thing.  If I’m Rome, I step into the room and I look at one side and it’s DJ Moore and the other side it’s Keenan Allen, there’s some pressure to that too. Because I better step in and know that I better live up to these guys’ expectations. Which he will.”

3.  Chris Beatty’s position group is three times as attractive as when he joined the Bears.

A couple of months ago, Beatty’s son “was doing cartwheels” because he could tell from the look on his father’s face what was about to happen.

Bears general manager Ryan Poles had called Beatty when the idea of a trade for Allen came up in mid-March, doing his due diligence on the six-time Pro Bowl selection whom Beatty coached for three seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers. Then Beatty got the call that the trade was happening while he was with his son.

His son was ecstatic. And Beatty couldn’t believe it was real that he would reunite with the player he called a “coach’s dream.”

“He’s one of those guys that everyone can lean on because there’s not a look out there that he hasn’t seen, and he’s one of the smartest guys I’ve been around,” Beatty said. “He’s a great coach off the field. He can reiterate things because he knows how I think, and I know how he thinks, so he knows how to say it the way I would like for it to be said to the younger guys.

“He’s one of these guys that everyone’s grown up watching, so when you actually get a chance to go out there … you see why he is what he is, as opposed to just the highlights on Twitter and YouTube.”

Allen became the second of Beatty’s former players to reunite with the coach. Beatty also coached Moore in college at Maryland and said the receiver is like family to him.

On top of the Allen addition, Beatty now gets to coach Odunze, whose length and ability to make contested catches are the first things he noted. Since beginning to work with Odunze, Beatty also has learned that the rookie is “super smart.”

“We went through this process in the draft trying to find the smarter guys and talking to them. And all of these guys are really smart, but he’s super smart,” Beatty said. “He’s able to pick things up. And I think he’s got a grasp of a pro set that you get from being in a college offense that has some pro principles in it, so I think that gave him a leg up. But he’s one of those guys that picks things up very quickly.”

4. Thomas Brown was impressed by Caleb Williams’ athletic ability, off-platform throws and arm talent in the scouting process.

The Bears passing game coordinator said Williams’ film over his college career at Oklahoma and USC was the obvious starting point for evaluations. Deeper into the scouting process, Brown — who was the offensive coordinator for Bryce Young in his rookie season with the Carolina Panthers — was impressed with Williams’ intangibles.

“The connection piece. He pulls everyone together,” Brown said. “Just the overall demeanor. He’s upbeat, super competitive, which I love. You’ve got to have that competitive spirit. But he’s a grinder at the same time.”

Waldron noted he began to understand that competitiveness when he watched Williams’ effort until the end of a blowout loss to UCLA in 2023. And in a much smaller way, Brown saw it emerge at rookie minicamp when Williams and undrafted rookie quarterback Austin Reed had a throwing competition at practice.

“Juices kind of getting going there a little bit,” Brown said. “It was good to see. We’ll have some stuff in the quarterback room to amp up the stakes going forward.”

5. The mental aspect of the game is Kiran Amegadjie’s focus for now.

The third-round pick out of Yale is expected to sit out the on-field portion of the offseason program as he recovers from October surgery to repair his quadriceps.

But offensive line coach Chris Morgan believes there’s plenty of opportunity to grow for Amegadjie.

“Classroom’s big,” Morgan said. “Being out on the field watching the drills is big. You can actually stand behind and take really great mental reps. A lot of growth we can accomplish in the next month for sure.”

Poles said on draft weekend his hope is Amegadjie can work his way into a swing tackle role and potentially compete for a starting spot this season or next. For now, Morgan wants Amegadjie to take the mental work “to the max.”

“Be obsessed with it, the learning part, and that way when we come back, he can hit the ground running even faster,” Morgan said.

He even was photographed pushing a shopping cart at a local Target, an image that popped up all over social media and made him laugh because of the funny way he was walking. Williams said he was procuring “all the small things that I needed” as he settles into his new life in the Chicago area.

Settling in with the Bears at Halas Hall, of course, has been Williams’ biggest task, and that ramped up Friday with the first practice of a two-day rookie minicamp in Lake Forest.

Caleb Williams is his ‘authentic self’ on and off the field. And the QB plans to use his confidence to lead the Chicago Bears to greatness.

During the 1½-hour session, Williams threw to rookie wide receivers, including Odunze, and ran the offense in drills along with undrafted rookie quarterback Austin Reed. Rookie punter Tory Taylor and defensive lineman Austin Booker were the other draft picks who practiced, while offensive lineman Kiran Amegadjie, the third-round pick out of Yale, will sit out the offseason program as he recovers from a quad injury that ended his 2023 season.

“Right now I feel pretty good,” Williams said before the session. “We’re going to have a few mess-ups probably. I’m working to eliminate those as fast as possible. But you need those things to grow and progress throughout the years.”

Williams had a head start on his adjustment to his new home.

The former USC quarterback and the Bears had the unique benefit of knowing they were going to be paired together for weeks if not months before the draft. Bears coaches gave Williams a lot of notes about the offense during his top-30 visit to Halas Hall in April.

Since then, Williams has been working on some aspects of the offense, including cadences and drops, to get ahead before he arrived at minicamp. Bears coach Matt Eberflus called Williams’ private quarterbacks coach Will Hewlett “awesome” as he helped Williams with the new information.

Williams also has been throwing with Odunze since the pair were drafted in the first round. Odunze, the No. 9 pick, said he knew Williams was talented from playing against him in college. But now he’s seeing the benefit of that on the field.

“It’s really effortless for him,” Odunze said. “He could do a lot of things that older quarterbacks may think is hard effortlessly. He continues to improve every time I see him, and he’s very smooth. He could throw the ball from any angle, body position, anywhere on the field, to any spot on the field. So you always have to be ready, always have to be prepared anytime he is in the backfield. It gives you the confidence that he’s going to put it on you when you’re giving him your best on the route.”

Photos: Chicago Bears rookie minicamp at Halas Hall

Williams’ primary goal at minicamp is to dive into the playbook and get to a comfort level at which he can teach other rookies who might need help. He wants to continue developing that chemistry on the field with Odunze and other receivers.

And he wants to stay even-keeled as he learns.

“Because I’m going to make mistakes, and I don’t really like mistakes and messing up,” Williams said. “And I know there’s a bunch of guys that are going to be in the same position as me. Being in that position and being even-keeled and being in control — cool, calm, collected — not only helps me but also all the other guys on the field.”

Eberflus and Bears coaches are looking at Williams’ understanding of concepts — they already have mapped out a plan through training camp of the concepts that will be taught — and operation of the offense.

“Taking the information from the meeting to the walk-through to the practice,” Eberflus said. “Everything from breaking the huddle to getting the cadence right to adjusting the call if need be.”

Williams has a host of new coaches to help his transition: offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, passing game coordinator Thomas Brown, quarterbacks coach Kerry Joseph and offensive assistants Ryan Griffin and Robbie Picazo.

Williams believes Waldron’s 10 years of varied NFL coaching experience should help him.

“Having someone like Shane that’s been in different positions with different QBs at different learning stages and things like that, it only helps me,” Williams said. “So him being in the position that he’s in and being in this offense for so long, it’s going to help me. And it’s a learning process for me, so I have to put in the work but also know that I have someone and a support team and staff around me to help me and keep growing throughout the process.”

Eventually, Williams also will have to take charge as a leader this season. But as he grows acclimated to all of the inner workings at Halas Hall, he is taking a backseat in that aspect at first.

“To be a great leader, you’ve got to learn how to follow first,” Williams said. “So right now I’m following all the vets, I’m following all the coaches. I’m listening, having both ears open and my mouth shut. Just kind of sitting back listening.

“And when I get to the point of when I learn everything, when I learn the ways of how we do it with the culture, the playbook, and what the offensive line, the receivers are all doing, running backs and tight ends (are doing), then you can start taking the lead. Then you can start taking the helm of all of it and take the next steps. For right now though, I’m listening more than I’m speaking and talking, and I’m taking it one step at a time, being in the moment.”

Williams’ arrival at Halas Hall has charged this moment — about four months out from the season opener — with even more excitement than usual as the Bears offseason program begins to kick into high gear.

The Bears have one more rookie minicamp session and then will move into organized team activities later this month, when Williams will become acquainted with his new team as a whole.

Eberflus said there’s a swell of energy in the building, and Williams is contributing to that vibe.

“You can really tell he’s comfortable in his own skin and he is who he is,” Eberflus said. “His light comes out from the inside. You can certainly feel that energy. He’s a 1-plus-1-equals-3 guy. He’s an enhancer. He’s a guy that brings out the best in people. You can certainly feel that in him within five minutes of meeting him.”