Shannon Sharpe and Chad ‘Ochocinco’ Johnson were full of praise for Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears.
Williams and Co. put on an offensive masterclass against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday as they stormed to a 38-0 victory.
The Bears’ performance is a stark contrast to the same team that couldn’t score a touchdown on their opening offensive possession in 2024.
Fast forward to preseason in 2025, and Williams led the first team offense on a seven-play opening drive that went 92 yards for a touchdown.
Caleb Williams shines in preseason debut with Bears
Sophomore star Williams was the star of the show, with fans hailing the quarterback as he went 6-of-10 for 107 yards and a touchdown.
Two of those singing the praises of both Williams and the Bears were Sharpe and Ochocinco.
“I know it’s the preseason Ocho but the Bears look good,” Sharpe said on his podcast NightCap.
“This offence looked really good, I thought Williams was unbelievable.
“I don’t want to get too ahead of myself but they did look good and they’re going to be a lot better.”
Ochocinco also praised Williams, saying he isn’t surprised by his performance.
“Listen, I know what Caleb Williams could do, I’ve seen flashes of him last year, I’ve seen him at USC,” Ochocinco told Sharpe.
It was at this point that Ochocinco went bold with a prediction about what he expects from the Bears, who finished with five wins last year.
“I’m going to go out on a limb, I’m going to say before the season even gets here,” Ochocinco began.
“The two teams that I think are the dark horses to surprise everybody and make a playoff appearance are the Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers.”
“People might laugh, but I’m telling you.”
While no one knows what awaits the Bears this season, the team are heading into the season with some confidence.
Williams, who was playing in his first preseason game of the season, described the importance of the demolition of the Bills.
“I think it sets a tone for us as a team,” Williams told reporters.
“I think it sets a tone for how we expect ourselves to play, go out there, perform. So yeah, it was extremely important.”
Along with Sharpe and Ochocinco, head coach Ben Johnson also praised Williams, who is enjoying his best stretch of training camp after a poor start.
“He’s really been locked in,” Johnson, who set Williams several targets ahead of the season, told reporters.
“Anytime you’re a young player, there’s usually a couple of steps forward and one step back. And that’s really been the story of this training camp.”