The Chicago Bears have put all of their eggs into quarterback Caleb Williams’ basket entering the 2025 campaign. If he takes a step forward, the Bears will be a much more successful team. But if Williams struggles, Chicago will once again find themselves in the NFC North cellar.
Hiring head coach Ben Johnson was the first step of the Bears’ plan. He gives Williams a true leader and mentor to build his NFL career around. Furthermore, Johnson’s offensive acumen should only play into the quarterback’s strengths.
Chicago didn’t stop there as they attempted to put Williams in a place to succeed. With those offseason moves in mind, Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report laid out a blueprint on how the quarterback can dominate his competition in 2025.
“The 2024 No. 1 overall pick should continue to ascend behind a completely retooled offensive line, and the defense already proved last year it has the potential to be a top-10 unit in support of Williams,” Gagnon wrote. “On top of that, there’s the presence of new head coach Ben Johnson.”
Caleb Williams rookie struggles
Williams didn’t fall flat on his face in year one, setting a pair of Bears rookie records for passing yards (3,541) and touchdowns (20). However, especially as No. 2 pick Jayden Daniels was tearing up the NFL, Williams didn’t live up to his No. 1 pick potential.
Part of the issue was on the quarterback himself. He oftentimes held onto the ball too long when waiting for the play to develop downfield. When it didn’t, the defense had more than enough time to make a sack. Other times, Williams’ name would be nearly non-existent in the box score.
But the quarterback dealt with numerous different play callers as a rookie. Offensive coordinator and head coach Matt Eberflus were both fired midseason. It was difficult for Williams to truly find his footing without a strong support system around him.
Now he has Johnson, which should alleviate those concerns. At the same time, Williams’ new coach has already been making corrections and will continue pushing him further. It’ll be up to the quarterback to prove Chicago’s belief in him was worth it, but at least on paper, Williams is in a much stronger position entering his sophomore campaign.
Chicago Bears additions
How Williams develops under Johnson will be crucial. In his final season with the Detroit Lions, he helped Jared Goff and company finish second in passing, averaging 263.2 yards per game. Williams would have to take quite the jump in year one to hit those numbers, but it’s at least a sign of what the pairing could bring.
Working in the quarterback’s favor is a new offensive line. While Williams’ play led to some of the sack issues, not all of Chicago’s league-leading 68 were on him. Now, the Bears have new guards in Jonah Jackson and Joe Thuney alongside center Drew Dalman. Coupled with Darnell Wright and whoever wins the left tackle battle, the Bears have turned one of their biggest weaknesses into arguably their biggest strength.
Furthermore, Williams will be throwing to a litany of talented pass catchers. With an already established core of DJ Moore, Rome Odunze and Cole Kmet, Chicago had the tools in place for a dangerous passing offense. But adding rookies Colston Loveland and Luther Burden to the mix only makes the offense scarier.
Offseason hype is one thing, getting actual results is an entirely different conversation. But if Williams develops as Johnson is expecting, the Bears will look like a much different team on offense for all the right reasons in 2025.
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