PHOENIX — The groundswell of enthusiasm for Bears quarterback Caleb Williams has surged to the point that some of the fan base won’t tolerate even a syllable of criticism coming off a playoff run and a season of viral highlights.
That’s not how it works at Halas Hall.
The objective feedback Williams received from coach Ben Johnson was the foundation for his growth last season, and unforgettable plays like his fourth-and-four touchdown pass against the Rams won’t change that. Johnson is a much tougher grader than the public, and that will be essential to Williams taking a bigger step this season.
In an interview with the Sun-Times during the NFL annual meeting, Johnson was bullish on Williams’ future and mentioned several indicators that he’s on the right track, saying there is “no doubt” he is primed to take another significant step, but by no means saw last season as an arrival.
“Oh, we’re just starting his development,” Johnson said. “I’m not saying this is a project, but this is going to be a year-in, year-out improvement that we’re going to see from this guy.”
Johnson had a list of areas Williams must attack this offseason, whether in his personal workouts or during spring practices, and it starts with sharper throws.
He went back to a standard he set for Williams going into training camp last year of completing 70% of his passes, saying, “That’s what elite passing offenses do, and we were far from that goal.”
Williams completed 58.1% of his passes, last in the league, which led to him finishing 22nd in passer rating at 90.1. The only player who hit 70% was fellow 2024 first-round pick Drake Maye at 72% for the Patriots.
On the other side of the ledger, Williams set the franchise record with 3,942 passing yards, threw 27 touchdown passes with just seven interceptions and had seven fourth-quarter comebacks, including the playoff win over the Packers.
Nonetheless, Johnson plans to go through film with Williams and show him 80-100 passes that could have been completions with better timing and a more accurate throw. That’s not including drops by wide receivers. If Williams had hit on even 40 of those plays Johnson has in mind, his completion percentage would’ve jumped to 65.1.
Passing accuracy is clear-cut to Johnson, but timing and pocket presence are a little more ambiguous. The challenge is that he wants more “traditional quarterback play” from Williams — such as making some of the quick, clockwork completions Johnson depends on when he designs a play — without scrubbing out the artistry and unpredictability that makes him a one-of-a-kind weapon.
They’ll work together to find an ideal blend.
“As we watch some of this stuff together in the springtime, we can look at [whether] we stay in that pocket for another half-second and deliver the football to the primary receiver, knowing that we’re going to get hit,” Johnson said. “Or do we need to keep doing what we’re doing, which is bailing just a little bit earlier and turning it into one of those streetball plays?
“That’s a healthy balance that we’ve got to talk about, and as long as he and I see it the same way, we’re going to be just fine.”
That alignment is the key. So many dominant teams have had it, and it has eluded the Bears. One of their greatest hopes in hiring Johnson last year was that they’d finally establish a powerful coach-quarterback connection.
For the most part, it requires Williams to embrace hard coaching and an emphasis on Jared Goff-like precision in some facets, but Johnson must move his way as well by accepting and incorporating Williams’ creativity into his offense. Both seem to be on board with that idea.