For Caleb Williams it’s about progress, not perfection in Year 2 with Chicago Bears

CHICAGO – Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams faces another season-long test.

In his first, he produced mixed results.

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, Williams often appeared out of sorts as a rookie last season – and at times overwhelmed – by the speed of the game. Bears management didn’t help matters, botching the construction of the offensive line and leaving Williams to be guided by an ineffective coaching staff.

Now, the Bears have taken bold steps to improve the infrastructure around Williams.

Hoping to provide peace of mind for the franchise’s young passer, general manager Ryan Poles reconstructed the offensive line, trading for All-Pro left guard Joe Thuney among several significant offseason acquisitions. The Bears’ biggest Williams-centric change came in club leadership: Chicago hired offensive mastermind Ben Johnson as its new head coach.

The architect of the Detroit Lions’ productive, balanced offense the past few seasons, Johnson is widely regarded to be both a top-notch X’s-and-O’s man as well as a quarterback whisperer. For the Bears, it’s most important that Johnson speaks quarterback.

Simply put, the executives who occupy the biggest offices at Halas Hall – the Bears’ headquarters and training facility in Lake Forest, Illinois – are counting on Johnson to help Williams become an even bigger star in the NFL than he was during his Heisman Trophy-winning days at the University of Southern California. The Bears, who could have chosen anyone in the draft, picked Williams, believing he’s a generational talent.

After Williams’ first season, however, they’re still awaiting confirmation.

As the Bears kick off the season by playing host to the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football, Williams sees improvement in his game. The key, he said, is to continue building on his progress.

“It comes down to seeing things when I’m out there on the field … recognizing things a little bit faster or more often,” Williams told reporters in Chicago during a news conference. “Being able to get up to the line, make checks and see it. Be able to feel comfortable and trust the guys in front of me.”

Last season, his lack of trust in the Bears’ offensive line contributed to Williams taking a league-high 68 sacks. C.J. Stroud of the Houston Texans took the second-most sacks – 16 fewer than Williams.

Although Williams’ processing issues contributed to his high sack total, the Bears’ offensive line performed poorly. Both things can be true. The unit was the weakest link of a 5-12 team that finished last in the NFC North and tied a franchise record with 10 consecutive losses.

The upside for Poles? At least he didn’t have to guess what went wrong.

As the foundation of a roster makeover, Poles focused on the interior of the offensive line, prioritizing veteran leadership, smarts and pass blocking. Acquiring Thuney from the Kansas City Chiefs was the centerpiece of his plan, which also included trading for right guard Jonah Jackson and signing center Drew Dalman in free agency.

Drafted by the New England Patriots in 2016, Thuney spent the first five years of his career blocking for Tom Brady, whose record seven Super Bowl championships is the most successful quarterback in league history. After helping the Patriots win two Super Bowl titles, Thuney joined the Kansas City Chiefs in free agency.

While blocking for superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Thuney emerged as a leader for the Chiefs, who became the first team in 20 years to win back-to-back Super Bowls. What’s more, Kansas City broke new ground in the Super Bowl era, becoming the first franchise to win consecutive Super Bowl championships and return to the game the next season.

Williams possesses the work ethic to become the third great quarterback Thuney has protected, the All-Pro lineman believes.

“Caleb works tirelessly,” Thuney said. “He’s always in his playbook. He’s in [the facility] early and late. … He’s done a great job [in the preseason of] just being a leader for this offense and getting it going.”

The communication between the new-look offensive line and Chicago’s second-year quarterback couldn’t be better, Thuney continued, and Williams has “done a great job of mastering the language and the calls,” of Johnson’s offense. “There are always things that we wanna talk about as an offensive line with the quarterback. Hash out how we see this, what we think about that. It’s been great to learn with him and see how he sees the game.”

Despite the Bears’ disastrous season and Williams’ struggles as a rookie, he showed flashes of the talent that excited Poles and his top advisers within the organization.

In almost every major statistical category, Williams established new benchmarks for a Bears rookie quarterback. But his production didn’t impress in comparison with Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels – the player selected one spot after Williams.

The draft’s No. 2 overall pick, Daniels won the Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year award while leading the Commanders to a 12-5 record. Daniels shined in Washington’s two postseason victories – including one over the NFC’s top-seeded Lions. For the first time since the 1991-92 season, Washington reached the NFC Championship Game.

Among many NFL observers, there was buzz that the Bears used the draft’s top pick on the wrong Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback.

Enter Johnson.

Previously the Lions’ offensive play-caller, Johnson designed an attack that ranked among the NFL leaders in yards and points the past three seasons. Last season, the Lions topped the league in scoring at 33.2 points per game. Additionally, Detroit finished second in total yards at 409.5 per game, second in passing yards (263.2) and sixth in rushing yards (146.4).

Clearly, Johnson’s credentials are impeccable.

Of course, many assistant coaches are good at diagramming plays. It’s Johnson’s knack for getting the most out of quarterbacks that helped make him a hot candidate on the head coaching interview circuit.

After being traded to Detroit from the Los Angeles Rams, quarterback Jared Goff, with Johnson’s assistance, revived his career. Now, Johnson is pushing his next protégé.

Once the regular season starts, Williams’ learning curve will continue. The Bears get it.

They don’t expect perfection. They’re just eager to see progress. And weekly, they’ll know if it’s happening.