All eyes are on former #1 overall pick Caleb Williams after a rough rookie season. The Heisman-winning USC product came in with a ton of expectations for a Chicago Bears team that hasn’t had a true face of the franchise quarterback in a while. But he had a hard time finding his footing last year, thanks to a shaky O-line and midseason coaching changes. It also didn’t help that he took a league-high 68 sacks.
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Now, with new coaches and weapons around him, things are looking up for Williams going into Year 2. The Bears acquired the top coach on the hiring market in Ben Johnson from the in-division rival, the Detroit Lions.
Johnson got to work by promptly getting four new offensive linemen via trade and free agency to help protect their quarterback. Chicago also drafted a speedy wideout in Luther Burden III and a big, burly tight end in Colston Loveland. However, despite the much-needed additions to the roster, Williams is seemingly struggling to grasp his new coach’s system.
“There’s so many new layers that I haven’t been over yet, that we haven’t been over yet. Just because it’s our first year, and there’s so much more within this offense to be able to unlock it… I think we’ll keep progressing, obviously. Hopefully, there’s a next step,” Williams said on SiriusXM NFL Radio.
There’s no need to panic if you’re a Bears fan, since training camp just got underway. Johnson is known to have a convoluted offensive playbook that is designed to throw off his opponents, so it shouldn’t be expected that Williams master it right away. Still, it would’ve been nice if he sounded a bit more confident about what he was stepping into.
After all, with a revamped offensive line, Williams should have plenty of time to get the ball to his star-studded cast of receivers. There’s DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, Cole Kmet, and even D’Andre Swift out of the backfield. Yet he’s only focused on one thing.
“That’s something I’ve been harping on myself. [It’s] being able to deliver the best and most accurate ball, first guys open take it, and let those ‘pick of the litter’ guys go make those plays,” Williams said.
.@ChicagoBears QB Caleb Williams discusses learning a new offense and all the weapons at his disposal
“First guy is open, take it…”https://t.co/xaIFNC5dXG#DaBears pic.twitter.com/x5ueZCd5Wg
— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) July 25, 2025
Getting the ball out quickly was one area Williams struggled with during his rookie year. He finished near the bottom of the league with a 62.5% completion percentage, well below the league average of 65.3%. His poor offensive line rarely gave him enough time to set his feet and deliver an accurate throw.
When his new head coach recently assessed Williams’ performance so far, though, he had a ton of early critiques. Johnson also acknowledged the fact that his QB is learning an entirely new system.
“There really isn’t a ton of carryover from what he was asked to do- the play calls or anything of that nature,” Johnson told Bears insider, Adam Jahns. “He’s very comfortable with tempo-type plays, and so now we’re asking him to be a little bit more structured in terms of the play calls.”
This led the first-year coach to seemingly make his first demand of Williams.
“There’s a lot more going on mentally than probably there’s ever been for him… right now, because mentally it is what it is, he’s playing a little bit slower than what he’s capable of.”
To some, it may sound like a harsh critique. But Johnson was simply pointing out what he was seeing Williams go through. The former Lion probably saw Jared Goff go through the same things when first trying to understand his offensive system in Detroit. Look where that eventually got him.
All in all, it’s not surprising that Williams is experiencing a learning curve amid his first week in training camp under a new system. It’s a lot that he has to take in. Johnson was known for trick plays, heavy pre-snap motion, and deception with the Lions. Most players won’t be able to understand those things overnight. So, it’s going to take some time and reps before we see the coach and quarterback blossom with each other.
Yet, as a #1 pick in a highly scrutinized market, the pressure will immediately be on Williams to succeed. He won a Heisman Trophy in college and was outspoken about his ability upon entering the league. The city of Chicago is expecting big things. They just don’t know if it’ll ever come or not.
