Why Chicago Bears’ Caleb Williams was deemed major OTAs winner

“Talent was never the question with Williams, as he’s always had the ability to improvise and make accurate throws off-platform,” Davenport wrote. “Williams’ rookie struggles were more a matter of sometimes trying to do too much—and getting sacked or making a poor decision as a result.”

“If Williams can come close to matching his physical talents and mental understanding of the game, then a Bears team that focused its entire offseason on improving around him could be a real factor in the NFC North,” he concluded.

Caleb Williams rookie struggles 

Williams’ first year in the NFL wasn’t completely terrible, as he set a pair of Bears rookie records for passing yards (3,541) and touchdowns (20). However, he was completely overshadowed by fellow rookie Jayden Daniels, who went No. 2 overall to the Washington Commanders.

One of the biggest issues was Williams being sacked a league-high 68 times. His offensive line did him no favors, but the quarterback is not fully faultless. Oftentimes he would hold onto the ball too long while waiting for a play to develop downfield. When it didn’t, the defense had more than enough time to get to him.

Part of the problem was Chicago’s coaching staff. Both offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and head coach Matt Eberflus were fired midseason. Williams has gone on record he wasn’t instructed what to focus on while watching tape. Overall, he wasn’t given solid ground to stand on when making his NFL acclimation.

Still, Williams knows he must improve his mental lapses and gain a strong control of the offense. If he does, there will be no questions why he went No. 1 overall. But continued struggles would only rile up fans at Soldier Field more.

Why Chicago Bears are optimistic

Not only does Williams have a new coaching staff in place, but it is spearheaded by one of the brightest offensive minds in the NFL in Ben Johnson. Johnson helped the Detroit Lions finish second in total offense in 2024, averaging 409.5 yards per game. While it’ll take time for Williams and the Bears to hit those marks, they at least have a leader who understands what it takes to reach the top.

Furthermore, Chicago made sure to fix their offensive line problems by trading for guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson before signing center Drew Dalman in free agency. Coupled with right tackle Darnell Wright and whoever wins the job on the left, the Bears have a much more stout front blocking for Williams in 2025.

He’ll have plenty of talent to target in the pass game. DJ Moore, Rome Odunze and Cole Kmet is a strong receiving core on their own. But the Bears then decided to use their first two draft picks on tight end Colston Loveland and wide receiver Luther Burden respectively. If Chicago is at the top of their game, it’ll be a difficult collection of pass catchers for opposing defenses to stop.

Ultimately, it’ll be up to Williams to put all the pieces together. But Johnson has a clear plan in place for his quarterback to show immediate improvement.