NFL executives were polled towards the end of last season. Most of them had similar assessments of Caleb Williams. They weren’t convinced he had what it took to play at the NFL level. While he was a good athlete with tremendous arm talent, his tendency to hold the ball and not play within the structure of the offense was getting him into trouble way too often. That is why he took 68 sacks. It was hard for them to believe he could turn things around, even with a new coaching staff in 2025.
Fast forward to now and things have shifted considerably. Jeff Howe of The Athletic found that several executives can see meaningful progress from Williams. He’s learning how to play like a professional, picking his moments to take shots rather than constantly hunting for them. The influence of Ben Johnson is obvious and growing stronger each week. If things progress as they have, the Bears may finally have a legitimate quarterback for the first time in decades.
“Caleb just needed time actually playing QB in a real system,” said an executive who was granted anonymity by The Athletic so he could speak openly. “Expecting him to come out the gates on fire just wasn’t realistic.”
“It’s the combination of him learning to get rid of the ball, learning that playing quarterback isn’t about big-game hunting and chucking the ball downfield,” a second executive said. “It’s about hitting the open, easy completion and letting your playmakers make plays.”
“Ben Johnson seems really good for him,” a third executive said. “He’s demanded a certain standard, and Caleb is meeting it, which is paying dividends.”
Caleb Williams has the stage set for him.
He has proven he can consistently beat struggling teams. That is always the first step for a young quarterback. The next step is just ahead. Chicago’s next eight games are almost exclusively made up of playoff-contending teams. First is a trip to Minnesota against a Vikings team that already beat him earlier in the year. Taking them down in their own building would be a massive signal of his ongoing ascent. Then would come a matchup he’s probably dreamed about for years when Aaron Rodgers, his idol, returns to Soldier Field with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Detroit, San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Green Bay also make up the schedule. Caleb Williams won’t get much of a respite during that stretch. If he is a franchise quarterback, he should be able to win at least 3 or 4 of those games to get his team to its first winning record in seven years. Much depends on whether the defense can hold up its end of the bargain. If he maintains his current pace, he should end up with one of the best seasons in Bears history.
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