Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams is preparing for a pivotal sophomore campaign, and he has a new coach in Ben Johnson to prepare him for it.
And how is Johnson getting Williams ready for 2025? By purposely going after him.
Johnson has been intentionally sending quick pass rushes Williams' way in practice to get him conditioned for those situations in the upcoming live game action, and offensive coordinator Declan Doyle elaborated on the Bears' decision to put Williams under duress.
“That’s very intentional,” Doyle told reporters. “That’s trying to get our defensive pressures in against some of the stuff we’re going to do offensively."
Ironically enough, Williams was sacked 68 times last season, so he has already experienced a very fair amount of pressure from opposing defensive fronts. However, Chicago drastically improved its offensive line over the last several months, so it should not be as severe in 2025.
Still, it's important to ensure that Williams is prepared for all potential scenarios, especially considering how tough the NFC North will almost surely be this year.
Williams actually had a solid rookie campaign in 2024, throwing for 3,541 yards, 20 touchdowns and six interceptions while completing 62.5 percent of his passes. He also rushed for 489 yards while averaging six yards per carry.
The Bears have put together a very impressive set of weapons for Williams, adding a couple of more in rookies Luther Burden III and Colston Loveland back in April. We'll see if the former No. 1 overall pick can avoid a sophomore slump this coming fall and whether or not Johnson's strategy of constantly pressuring Williams in camp pays dividends.
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