Caleb Williams had marched 44 yards on five plays during practice Saturday when the Bears lined up for a third-down play at the 3-yard line. It was a two-minute drill, not the red zone period that the Bears had struggled so terribly in the day before. But it felt important — as important, at least, as a drill on a backfield in July can be.

For over a year, Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze have come together to serve as symbols for the Bears future. Their fates instantly united from the moment they entered the NFL last year when the Bears