Caleb Williams was a notable name that didn't appear in Week 1 of the NFL preseason. The Chicago Bears hosted the Miami Dolphins at Soldier Field on Sunday in a 24-24 tie, but the major talking point was the absence of the 2024 first pick from the game.Colin Cowherd was critical of the decision not to play the quarterback. In a Monday episode of his “The Herd with Colin Cowherd,” the analyst questioned the Bears coach, Ben Johnson's decision, especially after many top quarterbacks had appeared in Week 1.“Bryce Young played, Joe Burrow played, Mahomes played, Spencer Rattler played, everybody but Tom Brady played this weekend,” Cowherd said. “And he did not, Caleb didn't. And I'm a fan. But there is a certain weight to this quarterback situation.“I said it when he got drafted by Chicago. And it has now been reported by me and Seth Wickersham. This was not their first choice. This is a big, loud, aggressive media. It is a poorly owned franchise with a GM who got an extension based basically on one big trade that got him DJ Moore in draft picks.”Caleb Williams struggled significantly in his rookie season with the Bears, falling to live up to the lofty expectations of many. Cowherd believes the quarterback, who threw for 3,541 yards and 20 touchdowns last season, should have used the opportunity to prepare himself for a crucial 2025 season.Colin Cowherd believes the Bears are protecting Caleb Williams from public opinionAfter falling behind expectations last season, there are a lot of eyes on Caleb Williams ahead of the 2025 season. Colin Cowherd believes the Bears are intentionally protecting the quarterback from public scrutiny, leaving him out of the Dolphins' game.“I look at it and I think to myself, was Ben Johnson actually, could I suggest this, sort of protecting Caleb from the court of public opinion?,” Cowherd said. “It was kind of a stand-alone big TV game. ‘Let Miami and Tua get all the speculation and the heat.’“‘We're going to just let him sit and watch this thing.’ It's not like he couldn't use the snaps. When tech companies delay the release, okay, it's usually because, like, you're still in the beta stage, right? You're just not quite comfortable putting it out to the public.”The second season performances are always crucial and consequential for quarterbacks who didn't perform well in their rookie year. Caleb Williams faces that intense pressure in the 2025 NFL season, as it will have a lot to say about his future in the league.