Quarterback Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears have moved on from their offseason Minnesota Vikings drama. But not everyone is pleased with how Williams handled the situation.
In an upcoming book by ESPN’s Seth Wickersham, it’s revealed that Williams originally didn’t want to go to the Bears. He requested they trade their No. 1 overall pick to the Vikings and even considered joining the UFL to avoid Chicago altogether. Ultimately, the quarterback changed his mind and decided he could win with the Bears.
But once he got to the Windy City, Williams discovered a major problem. He stated that his rookie coaching staff didn’t instruct him on film to watch and he oftentimes felt aimless. That coaching staff wasn’t pleased that Williams made his film-watching habits public knowledge, via Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, h/t Scott Polacek of Bleacher Report.
“Now, some of the previous Bears coaches were not overly thrilled, I was told, that he made public that he was watching film by himself,” Fowler said. “They felt like he could’ve handled that a little better from an accountability standpoint. So those are all things people are watching but word is this offseason he’s been great, really taken to Ben Johnson’s hard, aggressive coaching.”
Caleb Williams rookie year chaos
Many of the issues Williams had as a rookie are on him. He held onto the ball too long, leading to numerous sacks. Oftentimes, he just wasn’t very noticeable in the box score. The quarterback was largely out shadowed by No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels.
However, his coaching staff did him no favors. While Chicago started the season 4-2, their Hail Mary disaster changed things completely. The Bears proceeded to go on a 10-game losing streak, seeing both offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and Matt Eberflus fired. Eberflus became the first head coach in Bears history to be fired midseason.
Williams was unable to find his footing and build around a long-term coach. Add in the film problems and an overall sense of franchise bewilderment, and it’s easy to understand some of the quarterback’s struggles.
Perhaps Williams should’ve kept Chicago’s issues in-house. But now that they’re public, the Bears can actively work towards putting their quarterback in a comfortable place to succeed.
Ben Johnson completely changes Chicago Bears
The first step in Chicago’s plan was hiring Johnson as their head coach. He is one of the best offensive minds in the NFL and just helped the Detroit Lions turn their franchise around. Now he is expected to do the same with the Bears.
Jared Goff was a former No. 1 overall pick, who was on shaky ground himself before being traded to the Lions in the Matthew Stafford deal. In Johnson’s final season in Detroit, Goff ranked second in passing yards (4,629) and fourth in passing touchdowns (37). While it may take time for Williams to hit those marks, it is at least a sign of Johnson’s potential.
Alongside the boost on the field, Williams’ new head coach gives the quarterback a true building block to learn from. Johnson had his pick of the litter in terms of head coach vacancies, and yet he chose the Bears. He has continuously expressed his commitment to both Chicago and Williams. There is no more shaky ground, Williams has found his leader.
If the pairing actually leads to success is yet to be seen and will define the Bears moving forward. But after years of uncertainty, Chicago is confident in Johnson and Williams.
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