The Chicago Bears have completely rebuilt their offense upon new head coach Ben Johnson’s arrival. However, the Bears are relying on quarterback Caleb Williams to take a step forward to operate at full capacity.
Entering the NFL as the No. 1 overall pick, Williams came to the Windy City with plenty of expectations on his shoulders. While he didn’t fall flat on his face, Williams’ rookie season wasn’t what Chicago was hoping for. But with Johnson now in tow, the quarterback has solid footing to stand on and a key voice to turn to as he navigates his early NFL career.
Williams won’t have much time to learn and adapt, however. After all the offseason hype, fans and analysts want to see if the quarterback can live up to it. Both Dan Weiderer and Sean Hammond of the Chicago Tribune Williams is in a much better place to succeed now than he was as a rookie. But at the same time, there are no more excuses should the quarterback struggle.
“The 2025 season sets up fairly for Williams as a telling test of his trajectory. If he is everything the Bears believed him to be when they drafted him No. 1, they will find themselves in the express lane toward sustained success,” Wiederer wrote. “And if Williams falters and falls short of realistic expectations? Well, it won’t be because the Bears didn’t put enough quality pieces around him.”
Hammond went on to highlight Chicago’s additions on offense, namely to their once broken offensive line.
“Even if tackle Ozzy Trapilo, the second-round pick out of Boston College, doesn’t emerge as a starter as a rookie, the Bears have put themselves in position to make drastic improvements on the offensive line,” Hammond wrote. “Braxton Jones has proved to be a capable starter at left tackle when healthy, and now he could be playing with an All-Pro in Thuney next to him at left guard. If the interior is better, it will make the tackles look better too.”
Chicago Bears build around Caleb Williams
The Bears finished their 2024 season ranked dead last in total offense, averaging 284.6 yards per game. To get Williams to reach his No. 1 pick ceiling, Chicago knew they needed some reinforcements.
That all started with the offensive line. Williams was a sacked a league-high 68 times as a rookie, with the quarterback taking partial blame for the issue. Oftentimes he would hold onto the ball too long, looking for a play to develop downfield; most of the time it didn’t. Still, Williams’ offensive line did him no favors. The additions of guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson, as well as center Drew Dalman, give Williams a formidable blocking unit and time to make quick reads in the pocket.
When the quarterback looks downfield, he will have plenty of potent passing options to turn to. Wide receivers DJ Moore, Rome Odunze and Luther Burden alongside tight ends Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet make up Chicago’s new-look offensive core. The Bears will need to find a way to make it work, but Williams has more than enough ammunition to shine as a sophomore.
Chicago’s smoking gun is that of Johnson himself. His offensive prowess will only boost Williams’ game. However, more than anything else, there is now a foundation in place. It was hard for Williams to truly develop with the Bears midseason coaching changes. Now, Johnson is locked in on Chicago and determined to develop Williams. The quarterback and franchise now has a true leader, putting an actual plan in place for Williams’ growth.
But all the hype, all the expectations have been laid out 10 ways to Sunday. It’s up to Williams to prove that both he and the Bears are legit.
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