Before the start of rookie minicamp, coach Matt Eberflus made it clear that No. 1 draft pick Caleb Williams was the starting quarterback — no conversations necessary.

That immediate clarity was all about "believing in Caleb," Eberflus told reporters Friday as veterans reported for the start of training camp.

As the Bears spend the next 50 days preparing for Week 1, Williams' growth and development will be at the forefront of evaluations and national storylines. But for the Bears front office, teammates and Williams himself, the main goal is to learn and improve each day.

"I just texted him a couple of minutes ago about looking for improvement from the first practice to the fourth practice," Eberflus said. "We'll take a day off and then we'll assess where he is and we'll do the same thing again for the next stack of practices. If we look back and when we get to the 50 days and we're at the opener — he's going to be from here ... all the way [up to] here. So, concepts were there in the summer. He did a nice job learning those — formations, motions, everything we asked him to do. He's got to level-up from there and keep doing that during camp."

Williams began that process in OTAs and rookie minicamp practices in May and June, working quickly to learn offensive coordinator Shane Waldron's new scheme. While the QB took a few days off after the team broke for the summer, he trained for the next three and a half weeks then had a throwing session in Los Angeles with a group of the Bears offensive weapons.

Now, the USC product is eager to keep consuming new parts of the offense and fine tuning concepts he already knows.

During a press conference Friday, Williams told reporters he wants "to get it as fast as possible" so he can "help our team reach our vision for this season." Still, the rookie anticipates there being learning curves throughout training camp and is confident he can embrace the adversity.

"I've had rough days," Williams said. "I expect myself to go out there. I think I'm the toughest on myself. I go out there and I'll mess up a play. I've thrown a pick in minicamp and things like that. Being tough on myself but also having an understanding of where we are and where I am. The progression like I said before is key. Those bad times it's not a time to have self-doubt. That's just a waste of time. It's a time to keep growing, keep progressing and keep believing in yourself."

General manager Ryan Poles also understands training camp will be full of ups and downs for the rookie quarterback. While Poles, like everyone else, is excited to see Williams' talent, his expectation for the QB is simple.

"It's really just to maximize his ability," Poles said. "I want to see just leaning on the talent around him as well. I think it's got to be comforting to know you don't have to do everything on your own, which makes it a pretty good situation for a young quarterback. There's going to be adversity and I just want to see him lean on all of us to get through those moments and then when you're clicking and in the zone that those high moments are high and we just continue to learn and continue to get better every single week and every single day."

Veterans like tight end Cole Kmet and receivers DJ Moore and Keenan Allen will be key contributors to Williams' acclimation to the NFL and development within the Bears system. While Kmet noted that there is a sense of urgency for the Bears offense to take off quickly, he understands there is also a level of patience needed with a rookie quarterback.

Spending time with Williams at practice during OTAs and off the field throughout the summer allowed members of the Bears offense to build rapport with the rookie. Kmet hopes those relationships will give Williams the comfortability to "approach each and every one of us to help guide him through this whole deal he's going to be going through."

While the Bears offense finds its footing at the beginning of training camp, there remains a high level of excitement among the unit regarding Williams' raw talent that was briefly highlighted this offseason.

"Straight off the bat, he's just a leader," Moore said. "He took control of the huddle. His arm talent was amazing. I think that's what stood out to everybody. And him trying to make all those throws this offseason in OTAs was like, 'Dang, he really just made that. Or he just did that on the run.' It was amazing to see. I'm looking forward to seeing it in full speed against the defense with pads and stuff. So I'm looking forward to it."

As Williams navigates his first training camp and continues to establish his role within the team and city, the rookie will lean on "being myself everyday, coming in and working hard, getting after it."

While Williams' playmaking abilities and arm talent earned him the spot as the No. 1 draft pick, those intangible traits such as work ethic and authentic personality are what people inside Halas Hall have already grown to appreciate in a few short months.

"First of all, he's a really bright kid," Poles said. "I think he has the ability, when you see him interact with his teammates, to interact and have relationships with everybody. Very mature in the way he approaches things. I would say the thing that stands out the most, that gets everyone excited, actually two things, is his passion for the game and his work ethic is outstanding. The kid's a grinder and wants to be great, but it's always nice to see the work ethic match the desire to be great."