NFC Notes: Jared Goff, Caleb Williams, Bears, Lions, Vikings

Bears

Bears first-round QB Caleb Williams had an impressive preseason showing where he displayed his ability to improvise and make big plays. Chicago GM Ryan Poles is okay with Williams making the wild plays as long as it makes sense in that context.

“I think that’s kind of the big thing,” Poles said, via the team’s YouTube. “Lean on the guys around him, be instinctual, let those wild plays happen at the right time. We saw it in the preseason a little bit. That’s going to be important.”

Lions

Detroit signed QB Jared Goff to a massive extension this offseason, cementing him as the team’s signal caller for the near future. Lions GM Brad Holmes explained why they signed Goff to the big contract and discussed how important it’s been for Goff to not experience much coaching staff turnover. 

“He’s the right guy. He’s the leader for us,” Holmes said, via Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk. “He didn’t need a contract to go out there and do what he does on the field, he truly earned that. I have not seen a change in him. If anything, it’s been better just because it’s another year of the continuity that — I give Dan [Campbell] a lot of credit in terms of the continuity that he’s had with the coaching staff. That’s obviously helped, and we have a lot of familiar faces along with that too. I see it being even better.”

Vikings

Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell updated QB Jaren Hall‘s status after Hall left the final preseason game with a leg injury. Hall was on the initial active roster after Tuesday’s cuts, but was then waived. He could be brought back to the practice squad. 

“He’s doing all right,” O’Connell said, via SI.com’s Nolan O’Hara. “It’s one of those things where obviously big hits sometimes you never quite know. You’re clearly worried about, when you take a direct kind of launch shot to the head and neck area like that, first and foremost, the flag is one thing, but Jaren’s health would be what I ultimately care about. His head is fine, he is fine. He does have a little, you know, just a little leg kind of issue right now, kind of working through it over there.”