As Ben Johnson steps into his new role as Chicago Bears head coach, one of his most pressing goals will be helping quarterback Caleb Williams reach his No. 1 pick ceiling. While his rookie season wasn’t disastrous, it didn’t live up to the hype that Williams’ selection drew.
Johnson was able to work wonders with Jared Goff on the Detroit Lions, helping him reach his full potential. While Williams and Goff are two completely different quarterbacks, the expected standard is Johnson will do the same in Chicago. Ultimately though, it’ll be up to Williams to develop and prove how strong he can be as an NFL quarterback.
Until then, Williams isn’t climbing any NFL Draft No. 1 pick rankings. He finished No. 22 out of 25 in Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report’s newest rankings. Knox did offer a caveat to the selection.
“Take it easy, Chicago Bears fans,” Knox wrote. “The jury is still very much out on last year’s No. 1 pick, Caleb Williams. He entered the draft looking like a “can’t-miss” prospect, and he’ll have a great opportunity to reach his potential under new head coach Ben Johnson in 2025.
“A vastly improved offensive line will also aid Williams tremendously,” Knox concluded.
But at the same time, Knox didn’t hold back on Williams’ rookie shortcomings.
“However, the USC product’s rookie campaign was rather disappointing. Williams did start all 17 games but went just 5-12 with an 87.8 passer rating,” Knox wrote. “He threw 20 touchdowns with only six interceptions but was also sacked a league-high 68 times.”
“We saw flashes of what Williams can be, but he wasn’t the instant star that many expected him to be. Unfortunately, the player drafted immediately after Williams, Jayden Daniels, was an instant sensation.”
“This doesn’t mean Williams was a bad choice at No. 1, but after one season—and one should never judge a draft class on one year alone—it’s impossible to say he was the best quarterback in his class,” Knox concluded.
Caleb Williams’ rookie year struggles
As a rookie, Williams completed 62.5 percent of his passes for 3,541 yards, 20 touchdowns and six interceptions. His low interception total shows Williams’ ability to read a defense and make good decisions in terms of his passes. Furthermore, he hade more passing yards than any of Justin Fields’ seasons as the starting quarterback.
However, Williams held onto the ball far too long. He was sacked a league-high 68 times as a rookie. And while much of the blame is on Chicago’s wafer thin offensive line, Williams was indecisive in the pocket. Too often did he look for the big throw, ultimately leading to a sack.
As he prepares for year two, Williams must learn when to take his shots. He must take what the defense gives to him and move the ball down the field consistently. Then, once the Bears actually have their offense consistently working, Williams can use his trademark athleticism to make the big play.
But none of that happens without a foundation. The pieces have been put in place for Williams to succeed. Still, the quarterback must truly find his NFL footing for himself of the Bears to have any success.
Room for Chicago Bears optimism
Williams’ rookie campaign saw the Bears make an unprecedented move with head coach Matt Eberflus, firing him midseason. The Bears had fired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron prior. Perhaps Williams couldn’t find that grounding because his organization was on rocky water to begin with.
Nevertheless, Johnson will give Williams a voice to lean on. The Bears have committed to both the head coach and quarterback for the foreseeable future. Their growth and careers will be forever linked. It’s no longer a game of hot potato for Williams. Now he can actually plot out a short and long-term gameplan with his head coach in place.
But that would be true with whoever the Bears hired. Johnson gives Williams and Chicago a supreme level of offensive wizardry to work with. Johnson helped the Lions finish second in overall offense during the 2024 campaign, averaging 409.5 yards per game. Goff threw for 4,629 yards and 37 touchdowns, ranking second and fourth in the league respectively.
After hiring Johnson, the Bears massively improved their offensive line, trading for guards Jonah Jackson and signing center Drew Dalman in free agency. But even still, Chicago knows their offense won’t suddenly become unstoppable overnight. Johnson, Williams and the other team must be committed to improvement. If the head coach can help the quarterback reach his true potential, Williams will then fly up any No. 1 overall pick rankings.
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