One of the main reasons Ben Johnson was hired as the Chicago Bears head coach was for what he offers quarterback Caleb Williams. Despite going No. 1 overall, Williams failed to live up to the hype as a rookie.
That’s not to say he was a downright bust, as Williams set a pair of Bears rookie passing records for yardage (3,541) and touchdowns (2). Still, Chicago was expecting more. It didn’t help that Williams’ star was dimmed by No. 2 pick Jayden Daniels’ breakout rookie season.
Still, Johnson was pursued by nearly every team with a coaching vacancy, and he chose the Bears for a reason. He believes Williams is a quarterback worth building around. As the head coach prepares for his first season in Chicago, he is challenging the quarterback to complete at least 70 percent of his passes, via the team’s Tuesday press conference.
“I would love for him on the season to complete 70 percent of his balls. It’s a lofty goal, but it’s one we’re going to strive for. We’re going to use that as our benchmark and work from there.”
As Johnson tries to lead Williams towards that goal, the head coach is focusing on the quarterback’s pre-snap procedure. That runs from play calling to motions and everything a quarterback must do before snapping the ball. The team will also be looking to improve his footwork. Johnson gave Williams some homework before training camp and so far, Chicago’s QB has aced the test.
“We use that as a weapon and that’s not going to change. It’s certainly an advantage for us on offense,” Johnson said of Williams’ pre-snap procedure. “It’s a lot of stuff that goes into that position. Rather than throwing the whole gauntlet at him, we’re just building it from the ground up. He took some homework with him over the course of the summer and, even though we haven’t done anything high speed over the last few days, we’ve noticed some improvements along the way.”
Chicago Bears’ Caleb Williams, Ben Johnson team up
In his final season as Detroit Lions offensive coordinator, Johnson helped Jared Goff finish second in passing yards (4,629) and fourth in touchdowns (37). Outside of being No. 1 overall picks, Goff and Williams are much different quarterbacks and Johnson will coach them separately. However, it’s at least a sign of what the Williams-Johnson ceiling could look like.
The Bears clearly believe in the pairing, spending all offseason bolstering their offense. After allowing a league-high 68 sacks during Williams’ rookie campaign, Chicago traded for guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson before signing center Drew Dalman in free agency. All three, alongside right tackle Darnell Wright and whoever wins the left tackle job should make things easier for Williams in the pocket.
He’ll have plenty of weapons to throw to after the Bears used their first two draft picks on tight end Colston Loveland and wide receiver Luther Burden. They joined an already strong core of DJ Moore, Rome Odunze and Colston Loveland. At least on paper, Chicago’s passing attack looks much more ferocious entering 2025.
But it’ll all be up to Williams to prove he is a real deal. There are no more excuses, as the Bears have exhausted plenty of resources to help him succeed. With Johnson in his corner, Chicago is counting on their quarterback to deliver on his No. 1 pick potential.
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