As Caleb Williams prepares for his second year with the Chicago Bears, the quarterback has found himself in the middle of controversy. However, head coach Ben Johnson seems to be a strong remedy.
As revealed in an upcoming book by ESPN’s Seth Wickersham, Williams originally didn’t want to play for the Bears. He requested the team trade their No. 1 overall pick to the Minnesota Vikings and threatened to join the UFL just to avoid playing for Chicago. While those feelings are in the past and things have now smoothed over, it’s certainly not how fans want their franchise quarterback to perceive their team.
But with Johnson now in the picture, Williams appears to have fully locked in. The report seems to be behind head coach and quarterback as their sole focus is helping the Bears thrive, via Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.
“That said, from Day 1, Williams’s buy-in on Ben Johnson has been high,” Breer wrote.”
“The 23-year-old was there, alongside DJ Moore and Rome Odunze, for the introductory press conference, which is a small, but notable, thing for a guy to do coming off his rookie year. That, in turn, gave the two their first chance to sit down and talk face-to-face. And it also showed that Williams had an understanding of the responsibility that would come with his place as the Bears’ franchise quarterback, which would be Johnson’s starting point anyway.”
“Williams was around the building a lot from that point forward, which gave Johnson, offensive coordinator Declan Doyle and QBs coach J.T. Barrett a shot to organically build their relationship,” Breer concluded. “That facilitated some hard truths to be doled out at the start of the offseason program in April.”
What Ben Johnson wants Caleb Williams to improve
© David Banks-Imagn Images
One of Johnson’s first goals in Chicago is helping Williams reach his No. 1 overall pick ceiling. During OTAs, the head coach has already addressed two areas of the quarterback’s game he wants to improve. Both how Williams got up when taking a hit as well as how we went through his pre-snap procedure.
Johnson noticed the quarterback was slow to get up at times and pointed out a play in which he motioned the wrong way. Williams has reportedly taken the coaching staff’s wisdom in stride and is actively working to become the best quarterback he can.
“To Williams’s credit, he welcomed every piece of criticism in an effort to get better,” Breer wrote. “Which allowed the staff to move quickly to a lot of Lions tape, to give Williams an idea of what Johnson would be bringing from Detroit with him, and Matthew Stafford film, to bring some visuals to what they’d try to work him toward technique and fundamentals-wise.”
Chicago Bears counting on Caleb Williams breakout
For as much hype as Johnson’s arrival has brought, the Bears will go as far as Williams does. They have spent all offseason building around him, showing they still believe he can be an elite NFL quarterback. But if Williams struggles again, Chicago will be in the same predicament.
Still, it’s not like he fell flat on his face as Williams set a pair of Bears rookie records with 3,541 yards and 20 passing touchdowns. He just didn’t live up to the hype he entered the NFL with. But with an actual offensive gameplan in place, Williams is at least in a better position to succeed.
Furthermore, he will have a fully revamped offensive line and a litany of explosive playmakers to through to. All of this to say, Chicago has put all of their eyes into Williams’ basket. How fans and the NFL at large judge Johnson as a head coach will come down to the quarterback’s development.
But everyone in the Bears’ building is confident in the pairing. Once Week 1 rolls around, Johnson and Williams will have their first opportunity to prove the franchise’s revival is legit this time.
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