The Chicago Bears knew they could afford to waste another year trying to get the most out of Caleb Williams after their blunder in 2024. Keeping Matt Eberflus proved to be a huge mistake. He was completely unequipped to handle the early development of a young quarterback, as his hiring of Shane Waldron as offensive coordinator proved. GM Ryan Poles needed to find somebody who could transform Williams into the player he is capable of becoming. After a rigorous search process that lasted months, the Bears managed to lure Ben Johnson to Chicago for that job.
Experts loved the move. Johnson had put together a glittering three-year stretch in Detroit, where the Lions had one of the NFL’s best offenses. His prowess as a play-caller was unquestioned. However, some wondered if his offensive system was a good fit for Williams. Johnson ran a more classic style with work under center, play action, and straight drops. The Bears quarterback became famous working from shotgun in many spread formations. Tyler Dunne of Go Long TD decided to ask somebody who knows Williams better than most about this new relationship: quarterbacks trainer Will Hewlitt of CORTX.
From his point of view, the Bears didn’t hit a home run. They hit a grand slam.
It’s the perfect storm. There’s great situations in the NFL and there’s some that aren’t so great. But if you take a look at my Christmas List when all this stuff was starting to happen, that would’ve been my No. 1 choice based on my understanding of Ben and what type of guy he is and what type of coach. I don’t know that there’s a better scenario that could have panned out for Caleb. Because the pieces are there. And I’ve got nothing against the old staff. “Flus” was great to me and I know Shane Waldron and it just wasn’t the right fit. Having an offensive-minded head coach and the mix of personalities, I think, now is going to be exactly what Caleb needs. Ben’s going to have a ton of fun with it.
Caleb Williams won’t be cutting corners anymore.
Poles mentioned that a few times recently. He felt the young quarterback tried skipping essential steps in his development process, leading to his rampant consistency issues last season. The goal moving forward will be breaking him back down to the foundation and building him up again. This time, Johnson will guide the way, and he is known for being maniacal about details. He doesn’t suffer anybody who tries taking shortcuts. If it’s not hard, it’s not worth doing. That is his mantra, and Williams is about to figure it out.
This isn’t college. He won’t be able to get away with his god-given athleticism and arm talent at this level. Defenses are too strong, too fast, and too smart. If he wants to be great, as he so often says, Caleb Williams must embrace the grind of the NFL. That means long hours of film study and constant repetition in practice. This game requires immense sacrifices to achieve greatness. Johnson is ready to give him the tough love necessary to get him there.
Subscribe to the BFR Youtube channel and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
