The Chicago Bears made a slew of eye-popping offseason moves, but none of them are going to do much to alter the bottom line if Caleb Williams doesn't have a strong year at quarterback.
The No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft finished the season on a high note, despite his team's downward spiral under a poor coaching staff, but there were still a lot of issues that new coach Ben Johnson and his staff have seen on film. In a manner that should be refreshing to Bears fans, the new coaching staff have made it clear to Williams the areas of his game that need to mature.
Caleb Williams
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According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, Bears coaches honed in on a couple areas of opportunity for their QB. Most notably, they wanted him to improve his body language. Breer wrote:
“There were two areas where the coaches wanted improvement from Williams. Both related to how he carried himself as the quarterback, based on what the 2024 season showed. One was body language. The other was pre snap procedure... having a quarterback who was rolling with the punches would go a long way.”
It’s worth noting that the Bears quickly transitioned from critique to construction. The offensive staff loaded up Lions tape to show Williams what Johnson’s offense could look like at its best, and even sprinkled in old Matthew Stafford film to illustrate key mechanical targets. The presence of veteran Case Keenum in the QB room wasn’t just a backup move—it was strategic. Williams has leaned on him for after-hours work when coaches couldn’t step in directly due to CBA limits.
And while no games have been played yet, the early signs are good. According to Breer, Williams has already developed a habit of delivering at least one jaw-dropping throw per practice session. That’s the kind of spark that reminds fans why he was drafted first overall, even if the road to NFL success still requires fine-tuning.
I thought Williams improved a lot in the area of body language over the course of the last season. Early on, he seemed irritated more often than not. It was more than just losing; it looked a lot like a guy who didn't want to be there. However, later in the season, Williams seemed to mature and commit himself to making the best of a less-than-ideal situation. Hopefully, his job won't be as tough in 2025.