Hall of Fame QB Has Blunt View of Bears’ Caleb Williams-Ben Johnson Pairing

Over the course of the 2025 NFL offseason, the Chicago Bears dramatically remade their roster. Essentially, after quarterback Caleb Williams’ rookie season was far rockier than anyone in the Windy City hoped, newly extended general manager Ryan Poles spent the spring making key made personnel changes that included hiring head coach Ben Johnson from the Detroit Lions.

Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning believes that Williams and Johnson may end up being a match made in football heaven.

“When your head coach is calling the plays, that means it’s gonna be the same system every single year. And it’s just a great chance to have continuity and growth,” Manning said July 11 at Fanatics Fest in New York. “I was fortunate, I played for the same coordinator for 14 years. When you have the same system, it’s the same language every single year. Learning a new system every year is tough.”

Peyton Manning Preaches Importance of Continuity

Though Manning’s praise of the Bears was focused solely on the prospect of continuity in the years to come between Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson, there’s reason to believe in the rest of what Ryan Poles has built on offense as well.

The interior of the offensive line? Thanks to a pair of savvy trades and one crucial free agency signing, it looks as if this group is finally solidified.

Skill position players? Chicago’s first two selections in the 2025 NFL Draft were a pair of potentially dynamic pass-catchers who should find a role in Ben Johnson’s offense right out of the gate.

And most importantly, an entirely new coaching staff enters the picture after Matt Eberflus became the first head coach in Bears franchise history to be relieved of his duties in the middle of a season.

Although it would’ve been nice for Johnson to have been waiting in Chicago when Caleb Williams arrived in town back in April 2024, it’s better late than never for Bears fans who are hoping that Williams’ incredible potential can be unlocked by the architect of a Lions offense that was one of the best in the NFL in each of the last two seasons.

Caleb Williams Expects Partnership With Ben Johnson to ‘Last a While’

As Peyton Manning mentioned in the video above, Williams had to deal with not one, but two different play-callers during his rookie season. The fact that Williams threw for over 3,000 yards and 20 touchdowns to just six interceptions is a testament to the raw talent he possesses. But still, far too often during his debut season with the Bears it looked as if the first-year QB was lost.

On and off the field, Williams and Ben Johnson are working to amend this mistake the Bears have made with regularity over the course of franchise history. They both want to make sure that their partnership is not just the typical two or three year fling that Bears fans are all too used to at this point in time.

“Ben Johnson, he uses some choice words every day toward me. He’s tough, and I love him. He’s awesome. It’s great being around him,” Williams said on June 23, per Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk. “We’re building this bond and relationship to be able to last a while. I know Bears fans, it’s year after year typically, or every other year, where coaches and quarterbacks specifically are in and out, and our goal is to be here for a while.”