Chicago Bears fans probably remember the name, Tyler Dunne. He is the owner and primary columnist of GoLongTD.com. A longtime reporter who was a beat writer for the Buffalo Bills and Green Bay Packers, he published a massive three-part story about the dysfunction of the Bears franchise. The first part covered quarterback Caleb Williams, from his pre-draft interactions with the team to the firing of Matt Eberflus. Dunne cited sources who claimed he was difficult to work with, often tuning out coaches and failing to put in the necessary work during practice. It was even claimed that Williams had dyslexia.
Conversely, Dunne had high praise for head coach Ben Johnson, stating that he was probably the only hope Chicago had of becoming a winning organization. It was also highly implied that the two would never work together. Williams didn’t have the work ethic or play the way Johnson preferred.
So you can imagine Dunne’s disappointment when the two led the Bears to a top-10 offense and a division title, and beat his beloved Packers in the playoffs. One would think this would’ve shut him up. Sadly, Dunne is still trying to justify that article, this time by suggesting that Case Keenum’s excellent game against Philadelphia might give Johnson second thoughts about Williams.
Caleb Williams has nothing left to prove.
He showed last year that he and Johnson could work beautifully together. The 59 points on opening day were a pretty strong reminder, too, with Williams posting 4 touchdowns and 70% completion. It is painfully obvious that Dunne is clinging to what little credibility he has left among Bears fans. It took a crippliing blow once it became clear that all the “sourced” claims about Williams’ work ethic and commitment were complete BS. Johnson had nothing but praise for the young quarterback on that end from the moment they began working together.
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This latest stunt by Dunne is clearly intended to suggest that the two still aren’t a good match. As if accepting the sources of a former Packers reporter was ever wise. It is probably time that he accepts that his story was flawed. Maybe some of the information he got was accurate, but not nearly enough to make the rest of it worth publishing. Caleb Williams made mistakes in 2024, but the coaches around him made way more. One can probably guess that most of the anonymous sources Dunne talked to were the guys who got fired. Of course, they were going to blame Williams.
Don’t expect Johnson to bite.
As sharp as Keenum looked on Monday night, he is not naive. This is a 38-year-old veteran who executed a really good game plan. He didn’t carry the Bears to victory; he guided them. That is what separates the two. Williams is the type of quarterback who can put a team on his shoulders and will lead them to success. He did that multiple times last season. Sure, the offense may not always operate with unerring precision, but it works plenty well enough to score boatloads of points.
It feels like Dunne used Williams’ tough outing in week two against the Minnesota Vikings as an opportunity to raise concerns. After all, struggling against the #1 defense in the league in a torrential downpour is unacceptable. This is the epitome of trying to revive a dead horse. Dunne needs to accept reality. Whatever narrative he’d tried to create blew up in his face. What he’s doing now is just sad.
