Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams is revealing more about what happened behind the scenes in 2024. Williams says former head coach Matt Eberflus annoyed the team with how he handled a Hail Mary loss to the Washington Commanders.
“How [Eberflus] handled it at that time, for that game, was, I think, one of the things that throughout the locker room people talked about and were annoyed by,” Williams told the magazine Esquire, and reported by the Chicago Sun-Times.
The Bears and Eberflus decided to go their separate ways. Chicago's new coach is Ben Johnson. Johnson is tasked with leading the Bears to the playoffs, after finishing 5-12 last year.
“I think those losses were pretty important for me and my growth,” Williams added. “To go on a losing streak, to be in this position and be at the helm of it, was definitely important for me. Just being able to see how I need to be when times are bad. . . . I’m going to work my tail off to never be in that situation again.”
Willliams was the no. 1 overall NFL Draft pick in the 2024 draft.
The Bears are looking for a trip to the postseason
A new coach always bring some big expectations to a team, and the Bears are no different. Eberflus leaves Chicago after going 14-32 over three seasons in the Windy City.
Johnson is tasked with turning the ship around. It won't be easy. All three other teams in the NFC North went to the playoffs in 2024, with the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings winning more than 10 games.
Williams is the star for the Bears, and Johnson will need to work with him to fix things. In his rookie season, Williams threw for 3,541 yards. He tossed 20 touchdown passes, with six interceptions.
The Bears quarterback says he enjoys working with his new coach. Williams is expected to be working under center more this season.
“It's the whole thing,” Williams said recently, per USA Today. “It's working [on] getting up to the line and visualizing. Saying the cadence, being under center, controlling those things, going over the routes, concepts, the footwork in your head in the offseason so when that when those times hit and it's the fourth quarter, you can't think about those things, and you can't focus on those things. It's second nature.
“And getting under there and going through cadence, going through the huddle sequence, getting up to the line, making checks if needed. It's practicing those things now, visualizing those things now and building on those.”
Bears fans are excited to see what happens this campaign.
