It was Roman philosopher Lucius Annaeus Seneca who once said, “A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials.” As far as we know, neither Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson or quarterback Caleb Williams have an extensive background in Roman history, but the approach to their partnership thus far has undoubtedly been rooted in this philosophical principle.
Interestingly, Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel was a history major at Yale before beginning his coaching career, and after seeing the Bears up close and personal during Friday’s joint practice, he channeled Seneca the Younger in his evaluation of Chicago’s coach and quarterback combination.
“Ultimately, you have to go to a place where there’s a little friction before you can work with true transparency, clarity and efficiency,” McDaniel said after Friday’s joint practice in Chicago, per Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times. “To get to the spot that you need to, Caleb is going to be challenged, and then [Johnson’s] true intent of how you’re coaching and what your motivations are come through when you go through stuff together.”
Ben Johnson has been putting the pressure on Caleb Williams ever since he was hired in January. He’s challenged Williams to achieve some lofty goals during the 2025 season, and he hasn’t handled any interaction with kid gloves. It’s been tough love from the start, but according to McDaniel — and Seneca — the Bears will be better for it in the end.
Caleb Williams Details Recent ‘Clash’ With Ben Johnson
Throughout the entire offseason, neither Williams or Johnson have shied away from the fact that there have been moments where their working relationship has gotten testy. But neither the 23-year-old quarterback or the 39-year-old head coach have taken things too personally. They both know this is part of the process of reaching their potential as a duo that’s determined to turn Chicago into title town once again.
“Because Ben and I care so much and are so passionate about winning, we’ve had a few moments where we clash. It’s not a clash like, ‘I hate you.’ It’s like a brotherly clash,” Williams told the Sun-Times. “Ben and I actually clashed recently, and I ended up being wrong. Then we sat and discussed the moment and what he wants from me, and you just keep moving along. . . . It was more like, ‘I understand, I get it.’ I want that moment.”
It turns out, this is exactly what Caleb Williams wants, and it’s something he lacked during his first season with the Bears. Williams was never able to jive with Matt Eberflus and Chicago’s coaching staff last season… a group that not only proved to be in over their heads, but one that never took accountability for their shortcomings or mistakes.
With Ben Johnson, that’s not something Williams will need to worry about.
“It’s what I was craving — the consistent, hard coaching and the consistent knowledge that [Johnson] gives me,” Williams said. “It’s been working, it’s been enjoyable and a lot more smiles for me than last year.”
To send it back to Seneca the Younger one more time, he also once said, “Associate with people who are likely to improve you.”
In Ben Johnson, Caleb Williams has exactly that.
