One of Ben Johnson’s main priorities as head coach of the Chicago Bears is helping quarterback Caleb Williams reach his No. 1 pick ceiling. During OTAs, Johnson was already hard at work altering Williams’ mechanics in preparations for year two.
For as much hype as the Bears have gotten, they will only go as far as Williams does. Johnson’s prolific offense won’t take off if the quarterback continues to struggle. But with an entirely new offensive gameplan in front of him, Chicago is confident that Williams will take a major leap forward.
As Johnson got his first look at the full squad during OTAs, he had his quarterback have his left foot forward while standing in shotgun, via Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times. Williams operated with his right foot forward in 2024. The head coach knew it was a change he wanted to make when he took the job and one his quarterback was completely susceptible of.
“I think it helps out, certainly with the quick game from the gun, and then that helps us be in a little better throwing posture for a lot of other things that we’re asking him to do,” Johnson said. “It wasn’t so much us telling him to do it, it was more of a mutual, ‘Yea, let’s see what this looks like.'”
As the Bears continue their offseason program, Johnson will continue instilling a big play mentality into Williams.
“[Williams did a great job in the downtime, just going ahead and taking it and running with it, and when the coaches weren’t around, as well,” Johnson said. “We’re not talking so much about the feet and footwork anymore with him, it’s more big-picture plays, routes, ball location, coverages. It’s more big picture stuff now.”
Chicago Bears’ Caleb Williams must lean on Ben Johnson
Williams set a pair of Bears rookie records in 2024, in passing yards (3,541) and touchdowns (20). However, he didn’t provide the offensive explosion Chicago was expecting. Still, Williams was playing behind a broken offensive line with an everchanging play calling system. The quarterback will need to prove he is the quarterback the Bears thought they were drafting. But all the pieces are in place for Williams to succeed in 2025.
Starting with his new head coach in Johnson. Jared Goff, a former No. 1 overall pick himself, was traded to the Detroit Lions heading into the 2021 season. He had shown flashes of brilliance to that point, but hadn’t fully proven why he went with the first overall pick.
By then end of Johnson’s tenure, Goff was a star. The quarterback ranked second in passing yards (4,629) and fourth in touchdowns (37) in 2024. While Goff himself deserves plenty of credit, it’s also a testament to what the tutelage of Johnson brings to the table.
Williams won’t be a one-for-one recreation of Goff, but if all goes to plan, he’ll look like a completely different quarterback in 2025; for all the right reasons. Changing his shotgun stance footwork will be one of the many Williams adjustments Johnson will make as he helps the quarterback elevate his game to new heights.
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