Chicago Bears fans are hoping that quarterback Caleb Williams takes a leap in 2025.
It’ll be Williams’s second year as an NFL QB, a transition that has reaped rewards for other elite quarterbacks in recent league history. Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes won MVP in his second year, as did Baltimore Ravens’ Lamar Jackson. Cincinnati Bengals’ Joe Burrow reached the Super Bowl in his second year. Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen led his team to 10 wins and a playoff berth.
With so many recent examples, the blueprint is laid out for Williams to turn the Bears into a winner in his sophomore season. Williams has the physical talent to be an elite quarterback, but according to new intel from Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, Bears coaches are prioritizing a specific mentality switch for Williams this offseason to help him become a better leader.
Appearing as a guest on a new episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast on Friday, Breer revealed that Chicago specifically wants Williams to react differently when he gets knocked to the ground next season.
“I asked around (about) what they've been working on with Caleb,” Breer said.
“And the stuff that they've been working on was really how you carry yourself as a franchise quarterback and the command that you have to have to be a franchise quarterback … they watched tape of him taking sacks and how long it took for him to come off the ground.”
“And basically, the point they were trying to make to him was, ‘Last year's a tough year. We understand your offensive coordinator gets fired, then your head coach gets fired, (and) your offensive line wasn't very good. We get it. But if you're lying on the ground for an extended period of time — you're not picking yourself up off the ground — that's gonna resonate with the rest of the team. You need to be popping up off the ground after hits.’”
Williams, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, went 5-12 in his rookie season with the Bears, throwing for 3,541 yards. Williams threw three 20 touchdowns against six interceptions and completed 62.5 percent of his passes.
Under new head coach Ben Johnson and an improved offensive roster, Williams is poised for a breakout year, but he'll need to make sure and set the tone as a more resilient leader for the Bears to be at their best.
