The Chicago Bears saw tantalizing glimpses of what Caleb Williams could do last season. It was pure magic. They’ve had quarterbacks with incredible arm talent, quarterbacks with incredible mobility, and even quarterbacks who played great in crunch time. Never have they had one who possessed all three. Williams put them all on display while leading the Bears to their first division title in seven years and first playoff win in 15 years. He set single-season records with 3,941 passing yards and 30 total touchdowns. Add seven 4th quarter comebacks, and you start to understand why expectations for him are soaring.
However, it always came with a chorus of voices outside the bubble. People insisted Williams has not arrived yet. Why? He still hasn’t figured out how to play small ball. His 58.1 completion percentage was the worst among NFL starters last season. Part of that was because he couldn’t consistently hit the higher-percentage throws and too often refused checkdowns, hunting for the big play. From the way head coach Ben Johnson spoke to Albert Breer of the MMQB, it sounds like that might not be a problem anymore.
Caleb Williams is trusting his eyes more than ever.
There’s proof, too, in how Williams is following their lead this summer. Every few days, Johnson asks him for his favorite play of the day. Inevitably, it’s something small, “and it’ll be one where we call four verts (vertical routes), and they give us two-high, or it’s quarters and none of the outside stuff is there, it’s not good, so he checks it down to the back immediately.”
It’s something few people, in other words, would notice. But it goes back to a point of emphasis for the summer from the coaches—“I’m not changing too much other than just to take the easy ones,” he says—and shows there’s now a synergy between the staff and its quarterback. That was the point of making things so hard in the beginning.
Caleb Williams is an Olympic sprinter learning to play chess.
That is the best way to describe what the Bears are trying to accomplish. They already know their quarterback is a world-class athlete. He can do anything you ask of him on the football field. He has the arm to make any throw and the legs to evade almost any defender. The problem is? That alone isn’t enough to conquer the NFL. When you look at the best of the best quarterbacks throughout league history, all of them have the same thing in common. They’re neurosurgeons between the ears. They can process information at high speeds, always knowing where guys are supposed to line up, what the protections are, and what looks the defenses show.
There is a reason only a handful of guys can play the position at a high level. The amount of work needed to reach that tier is borderline masochistic. You really need to love football or be incredibly competitive. Based on what everyone around Caleb Williams has said for two years, he is both. When you put somebody like that into a proven offensive system with a good supporting cast, success almost always will follow. Last season was the proof of conception. Now the Bears are preparing to take the training wheels off.
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Press Taylor on Caleb Williams mastering the Playbook and Preseason availability:
"He's getting closer every day to improving in his mastery of the system. I don't know if he's ever going to get there, I don't know that anybody ever will. We as coaches continue to learn more… pic.twitter.com/UEmbEFSNDM
— BearsMuse (@ChiBearsMuse) August 17, 2026
An efficient Williams wins a lot.
There is a reason Johnson wants his quarterback completing more passes. More completions equal fewer wasted yards. More completions mean shorter down-and-distance situations. Above all, more completions mean greater efficiency and higher passer ratings. Keep this in mind. Williams has produced a 100+ passer rating 11 times in his young career. He is 7-4 in those games, and three of the losses saw his defense allow 34 points or more. The other would’ve been a win if not for a blocked field goal.
Season Week Opponent Comp / Att Passer Rating Game Result
2024 Week 4 Los Angeles Rams 17 / 23 106.1 Win (24–18)
2024 Week 5 Carolina Panthers 20 / 29 126.2 Win (36–10)
2024 Week 6 Jacksonville Jaguars 23 / 29 124.4 Win (35–16)
2024 Week 11 Green Bay Packers 23 / 31 104.5 Loss (19–20)
2024 Week 14 @ San Francisco 49ers 17 / 23 106.6 Loss (13–38)
2024 Week 16 Detroit Lions 26 / 40 107.7 Loss (17–34)
2024 Week 18 @ Green Bay Packers 21 / 29 103.2 Win (24-22)
2025 Week 3 Dallas Cowboys 19 / 28 142.6 Win (31–14)
2025 Week 11 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers 19 / 35 104.3 Win (31–28)
2025 Week 15 Cleveland Browns 17 / 28 112.5 Win (31–3)
2025 Week 17 @ San Francisco 49ers 25 / 42 100.3 Loss (38–42)
Put simply, the Bears are a much harder team to beat when Williams performs like a polished professional. That is why the team is trying to get him there. Once he’s consistently in that zone, the organization can finally start thinking about winning a Super Bowl.
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