New Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson had a big task this offseason. He needed to treat Caleb Williams as a rookie after the former regime of head coach Matt Eberflus and offensive coordinator Shane Waldron essentially neglected to develop the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft.
During OTAs and early in training camp, Johnson was still working with Williams on getting the basics and leading the offense pre-snap. As the Bears get set to play the Minnesota Vikings at Soldier Field on Monday night, the training wheels are coming off for the second-year quarterback.
Per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, Johnson wanted to teach Williams the fundamentals of playing quarterback in the league. With the basics hopefully mastered, Johnson wants Williams to play with the intangibles that made him stand out to NFL scouts and general manager Ryan Poles before the 2024 draft.
The Chicago Bears taught the basics first
“Now that we’re past the preseason, watch for the Bears to flash some creativity to maximize quarterback Caleb Williams,” Fowler wrote. “My sense from people in Chicago is that while head coach Ben Johnson would coach Williams relentlessly on the basics throughout camp, they would eventually play to Williams’ strengths, utilizing his mobility and off-platform throwing as an off-script playmaker.
“Bears fans could see more of that in the regular season.”
Caleb Williams needs to show his athleticism
Williams needs to be more than a game manager in Chicago. The reason why he was hyped coming out of USC was that he could make special plays off-schedule and push the ball downfield. He held on to the ball and played rather conservatively in Year 1, trying not to turn the ball over.
With experience and teaching in Year 2, Williams should let loose in Johnson’s system. He has more than enough pass-catching talent to find an open receiver. If Williams keeps plays alive long enough for busted coverage to develop, the Bears offense will be dangerous.
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