Since the hiring of Ben Johnson as their next head coach, there has been plenty of optimism surrounding the Chicago Bears. Quarterback Caleb Williams specifically has been deemed an offseason winner. However, hype is one thing, actual results are another.
This is still a Bears team coming off of a 5-12 season. They’re picking in the top 10 again and have no gone through a franchise reset. While the arrow may be pointing up, Chicago still must prove themselves to be taken seriously as a contender.
If they’re going to do that, Williams must take a giant leap forward. Johnson was hired with the intention of helping the quarterback do just that. But there are some concerned about the pressure mounting for both Johnson and Williams, including Colin Cowherd of The Herd.
“If Caleb Williams doesn’t look like a franchise quarterback by early October, then he’s not going to be,” Cowherd said. “They have a really nice offensive line now. They’ve got really good weapons. They may pick up a running back in the first round. They have a competent offensive head coach, who is cerebral. You’ll know within four to five games if Caleb Williams is the guy. It doesn’t take long.”
“Sean McVay went to the [Los Angeles] Rams. [Jared] Goff looked like a bust. Jayden Daniels, it wasn’t even a head coach, he had a really good coordinator. And Jayden Daniels in his first four weeks had a 107 passer rating,” Cowherd continued. “So by October 1, I’ll know, you’ll know, Ben Johnson will know. Everybody in the Bears will know if Caleb is going to be the guy or not.”
What must Caleb Williams improve
Williams took a league-high 68 sacks as a rookie. Oftentimes, he would look to make the big play down field and ultimately give pass rushers too much time to get into the backfield. While the offensive line in front of him wasn’t great, Williams must learn to take what the defense gives him and consistently move the offense forward.
To his credit, there wasn’t much offense to speak of in Chicago. The Bears finished dead last in total offense, averaging just 284.6 yards per game. Part of that was on Williams, but another was on Chicago’s ever changing offensive scheme. Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron was fired midway through the season and head coach Matt Eberflus shortly followed.
During his rookie campaign, Williams never truly had an opportunity to work on solid ground. Cowherd compared him to Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels. But Daniels was working with a brand new head coach in Dan Quinn and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. Clearly the pairing worked and Daniels thrived.
So now, Williams must find his connection with Johnson. While the most important thing will be what we does on the field, there needs to be a strong gameplan in place. Assuming Johnson can translate his Detroit Lions success to the Bears, Chicago is expecting there to be plenty.
Growing pressure on Bears
For all their struggles in 2024, the Bears have made an aggressive attempt to try to remedy their biggest issue. One of the biggest areas of concern was offensive line. So Chicago traded for guards Jonah Jackson and Joe Thuney before signing center Drew Dalman in free agency.
Dalman was considered arguably the best center available in free agency. Thuney is a four-time Super Bowl champion and Jackson made a Pro Bowl under Johnson in 2021. As Williams takes his expected jump forward, the Bears ensured he had a sturdy blocking scheme in front of him.
Then, there’s the arrival of Johnson himself. He was coveted by nearly every team with a head coaching vacancy in 2025. Johnson’s offensive work with the Lions made him an NFL darling and ultimately won him the AP NFL Assistant Coach of the Year award. After years of dark clouds and playoffless seasons in Chicago, Johnson is expected to be the light at the end of the tunnel.
But if the Bears struggle, the organization will surely hear it in droves. All offseason all Chicago has heard is about how improved the Bears are. Without even playing a game they’ve been called contenders. In the end, Chicago’s final record will dictate how much they’ve really improved. And if Williams is the franchise quarterback of the future.
