Bears quarterback Caleb Williams took some obvious steps in his development in 2025, his first season under head coach Ben Johnson.
The No. 1 overall pick of the 2024 draft, Williams now says he and Johnson are pushing things forward for 2026.
“Plays get more detailed,” Williams said this week, via Larry Mayer of the team’s website. “[Johnson is] adding more on my plate of figuring out the coverage before and having an idea of where I can go with the ball faster and sooner. I haven’t thrown a lot of picks in my career because I can see the coverage and feel the coverage. It’s a little more detailed from play-to-play and specifics within the play towards the coverage that we are attacking. Then adding more plays in there so that we can kill, alert, and check to these different man checks, Cover 2 checks, one high, or whatever the case may be.
“We are excited about that. I’m excited. The challenge that he’s giving me to be able to take the next step and progress is what I’m most excited about. It’s going to be hard. It’s going to be tough like it is every year. That’s what you embrace, that’s what you enjoy. Because when it shows up on game days and Sundays or whatever day we play on, it’s really rewarding.”
Williams has talked about how Johnson’s approach to coaching him hard made him think the head coach didn’t like him at times. But now, Williams and Johnson have a much better understanding going into their second season together.
“I know we have a real common goal and it’s to find a way to make the Chicago Bears champions,” Williams said. “So, everything he says to me, I’ll do it at 200 percent and won’t look back.
“That’s kind of how it is now. If he yells and curses at me or anything like that, I know it’s for the greater good of the team.”
