Briggs calls Williams the Bears' starter

Lance Briggs called veteran middle linebacker D.J. Williams the team’s starter Thursday, even as coach Marc Trestman said he’d wait one more day to decide.

“Let’s clarify this,” the Bears’ linebacker said Wednesday. “When we opened camp, D.J. Williams was our starting middle linebacker. James Anderson was our starting (strong-side linebacker) and Lance Briggs our starting (weak-side).

“D.J. Williams got injured, which in turn gave an opportunity for Jon Bostic to not only showcase his skills but to learn. He got a chance to run with the ones.

“Now, D.J. Williams is back from injury and D.J. Williams is our starting (middle linebacker).”

Briggs is ready to call the plays Sunday for the first time.

“We don’t have time for me to not get the play out,” the 11-year player said after practice at Halas Hall. “Everybody’s counting on me.”

He said he was “pretty comfortable” in the role.

“I have to admit,” he said with a smile. “I’m pretty good.”

Briggs said the defensive unit communicates better than ever now, because with Brian Urlacher retired the “onus of that kind of falls on everybody” on the team.

“So our safeties are doing more communicating,” he said. “Our D-linemen are doing more communicating, our corners and our linebackers are all kinda communicating with each other to make sure we’re all on the same page.”