Caleb Williams is under the microscope this season far more than any other quarterback from his draft class. Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix made the playoffs. Drake Maye was insulated from criticism because of how bad New England was. Michael Penix Jr. didn’t play until later in the season. Williams had the misfortune of starting every game, going 5-12, and taking 68 sacks. Despite solid numbers, it wasn’t a pretty season. That led to plenty of criticism throughout the offseason, capped off by a blistering story released by Tyler Dunne of Go Long, which called Williams’ work ethic and drive into question. People have been reluctant to embrace such rumors. Then Jaylon Johnson spoke.
If you know anything about the Chicago Bears’ star cornerback, it’s that he isn’t afraid to speak his mind. He’s honest. That was why his answer was telling when he appeared on the Pivot Podcast and was asked about Williams. Johnson admitted he doesn’t know what a great quarterback looks like behind the scenes. He hasn’t played with one yet in his career. Mitch Trubisky, Nick Foles, Andy Dalton, and Justin Fields all took their shots to no avail. One thing he did say about Williams is that he was spending a lot more time in the facility.
This year.
Jaylon Johnson hinted that those concerns about work ethic were real.
The stories were that Williams, for all his incredible talent, didn’t truly understand the amount of preparation needed to succeed in the NFL. He didn’t always pay attention in meetings or jot down notes. The somewhat soft-handed approach by the coaching staff under Matt Eberflus didn’t help. By the time Thomas Brown took over in late November, it was too late to change anything. Every time he tried to instill some discipline in Williams, he was brushed off. The quarterback knew the season was over and the coaching staff was probably getting fired. Professional? No, but it would explain many things.
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What Jaylon Johnson revealed is two things. Williams didn’t work hard enough last year. He paid the price for it, both mentally and physically. It appears that it taught him some harsh lessons and, together with the arrival of the more firm-handed Ben Johnson, he’s begun preparing like a professional should.