Case Keenum has played for his fair share of strong offensive minds in his long NFL career. He started out with Gary Kubiak in Houston. Then he spent a year with Kevin O’Connell in Washington and two with Kevin Stefankski in Cleveland. Each man had their own specific ways for developing a quarterback. Keenum is finding out that the same is true for Ben Johnson. How he’s handling Caleb Williams involves many typical things you’d expect from a sharp offensive coach, but also a few that are somewhat surprising.

Keenum revealed to Courtney Cronin of ESPN that Johnson hasn’t been doing anything to make life easier for Williams, especially in regards to learning the offense. One such method is something many coaches wouldn’t be willing to do these days.

“Ben has put a lot of pressure on us as quarterbacks to handle playcalls without wristbands out there,” Keenum said. “New playcalls every day. Long ones with double kills and possible alerts.”

Wristband call sheets have been a staple of the NFL for decades. They are meant for quick and discreet play calling, preventing opponents from easily deciphering signals and reducing miscommunication on the field. Running back Tom Matte invented them in 1965 when he was forced to take over as quarterback due to injuries. Williams used one last year.

Case Keenum likely knows why Johnson is taking it away.

While the wristband can be an incredibly useful tool, it can also be somewhat of a crutch. Quarterbacks can lean on them to handle everything and not try harder to actually learn the entire offense. It seriously discourages flexibility in changing game situations and can often lead to communication errors. Johnson knows he can’t always walk Williams through every situation on the field. Sometimes the game is moving too fast for that. The quarterback must be able to think on his feet and make necessary adjustments to save the offense from bad situations. That can’t happen unless he knows the system inside and out.

Yes, it is more difficult this way. Yes, it will require more time to find consistency. However, the benefits in the long run are far more substantial. When quarterbacks have full freedom of control in an offense, they play their best. It’s been true for many, many years. The key is whether Williams is up to the challenge. Case Keenum is there to help.

Being a head coach isn’t all about the Xs and Os. It also isn’t about ordering players around and telling them what to do. Any great coach will tell you the biggest winners are the ones who master psychology. They understand how to manage the mood of the locker room. When they sense guys need a heavy dose of intensity, they schedule live sessions in practice. However, there are also times when guys need a chance of pace, something to alleviate the grind of training camp. Nobody can argue that Ben Johnson can maintain discipline with his Chicago Bears players. What wasn’t certain was whether he could help them have a little fun.

He answered that question in the most unexpected way possible. People have watched Bears practices for years, and plenty of interesting things have happened in that time. However, it is safe to assume that what Johnson did at the end of practice on Thursday was completely new. On the last play of team drills, he hatched a surprise. The offense and defense would switch sides. That means offensive players would play defense and defensive players would play offense. If the defense could pick up a 1st down, the offense had to do up-downs. If the offense prevented the 1st, the defense must do them.

Caleb Williams found cornerback Nick McCloud on a rollout for the first down, triggering a huge celebration from defensive players.

Ben Johnson clearly has the players feeling energized.

What stands out the most from all of this is the confidence guys exude. Both offensive and defensive players seem more sure of themselves and the team’s direction. Ben Johnson has fostered an environment of accountability and swagger. He demands perfection on every snap, intent on ensuring everybody knows their responsibility. Competition is everywhere. Johnson doesn’t aim to make the team better than last season. He aims to win, and win immediately. Players should be doing the same. Such a mentality is a far cry from what Matt Eberflus brought to the table. Guys are going hard every day and being encouraged to do so. At the same time, Johnson keeps them on their toes with little shakeups like this. No wonder guys already love him.

People made so much out of a net throwing drill by Caleb Williams. It was beyond evident that people were looking for any evidence to find that the young quarterback was struggling in training camp. Meanwhile, people paying attention have noted the opposite. After a slow start last month, Williams has progressed rapidly. He’s stringing good practices together and flashing his incredible arm talent. First, it was a 48-yard bomb to Rome Odunze on Tuesday. Next came maybe the sickest practice throw you’ll ever see on Thursday.

It came during an 11-on-11 drill. Williams took a snap. Gervon Dexter drove up the middle and put his 6’6 frame in the passing lane with his long arms. Williams had to adjust his sight line with a sort of peek-a-boo move. In a split decision, he fired a sidearm pass that slipped over the helmet of cornerback Josh Blackwell and into the arms of Colston Loveland, who was well-covered by safety Elijah Hicks. It was the sort of throw you can only shrug your shoulders at. Very few people on the plan could’ve made it.

Caleb Williams clearly hasn’t lost his touch.

Having the confidence to make that sort of throw, practice or not, should tell you everything you need to know about the Bears’ quarterback. There is a reason people keep calling him special. Throwing with that kind of accuracy alone is impressive. Doing it sidearm with a giant defensive lineman in your face is crazy. Meanwhile, Loveland showed you why he was the 10th overall pick. Hicks is in good position. The coverage was almost perfect. It didn’t matter. Loveland was too big, strong, and savvy a pass catcher for it to matter. Caleb Williams is already learning to trust him. Putting a target of that size and capability in the middle of the field is a nightmare for any defense. Should they happen in real games, such completions will be among the most demoralizing.

Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze have been joined at the hip since the two entered the NFL. They came together before the 2024 draft as workout buddies and ended up on the same plane to the event. It almost seemed preordained. Sure enough, the Chicago Bears took Williams #1 overall and snagged Odunze at #9. Suddenly, the two fast friends were now teammates. The excitement over what they could accomplish moving forward was palpable. All things considered, their rookie year wasn’t terrible. Odunze caught 54 passes for 734 yards and three touchdowns.

It might not have been the numbers he hoped for, but it was apparent the two had developed chemistry down the stretch of the season. Still, it is always fair to wonder what a receiver really thinks of his quarterback. They’ll keep their comments supportive in public, never wanting to throw a guy under the bus for not being good enough. Odunze showed the opposite is true with him. His comments to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN suggest he has a much higher opinion of Williams than people realize.

Rome Odunze can see things coming together.

He already saw glimpses of Williams’ brilliance last year. It was the ball placement in tight coverages. It was his ice-cold presence in late-game situations. Every time the Bears needed a play, Williams seemed to deliver. Better still, Rome Odunze was often on the receiving end of those throws. Now you have Ben Johnson coming in with his vast offensive expertise, and the vision is finally clear. That talent married to this offense is a recipe for potential greatness. Willias still has tons of work to do. Everybody knows that. Yet his progress to this point is hard to ignore. He’s making strides fast. Many believe by the end of this season, people will see the same things Odunze has.

The Chicago Bears know that few things determine the outcome of a football season more than health. Having your best guys on the field for most of the games is crucial. Throughout training camp, the team has largely avoided any significant setbacks. The only notable one was Cole Kmet leaving a practice earlier in the week. However, he returned for the next one without any issues. Unfortunately, their fortunes took a turn on Thursday. Two of their biggest names left early with undisclosed injuries. First was cornerback Kyler Gordon, followed by right tackle Darnell Wright. Both walked off under their own power.

Panicking at this stage is inadvisable. One must remember the season is still a month away. That is plenty of time for both players to heal from their ailments. This presumes neither is season-ending, which is the hope. Still, the fact that it was Wright and Gordon is not ideal. Both are considered crucial to their respective units. Wright is their best tackle, and Gordon is their most versatile defensive back. Replacing them for any length of time is impossible. Details should be forthcoming within the next 24 hours.

The Chicago Bears’ decisions ahead seem straightforward.

Both Wright and Gordon will almost certainly not play in this weekend’s preseason game against the Miami Dolphins. Whether they participate in the joint practice on Friday is also in doubt. The truth is the Chicago Bears have zero reasons to rush either player back to the field. Their sole objective at this point is getting each of them to September for Monday night against the Minnesota Vikings. They’re veterans. They know what their jobs entail. Health is the #1 priority. In their absence, other guys will get extra opportunities. Theo Benedet has manned the right tackle spot with the second and third-team offenses. In years past, Josh Blackwell has usually served as the #2 nickel corner. Zah Frazier and others will likely get reps as well.

The Detroit Lions went 15-2 last season. It was their best record in franchise history and a surefire sign they were a Super Bowl contender. Sadly, Jared Goff’s meltdown (four interceptions) and a defensive collapse led to a crushing divisional round loss to the Washington Commanders. Mere days after the loss, offensive coordinator Ben Johnson left for the Chicago Bears head coaching job, and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn left for the New York Jets head coaching job. Both were losses the Lions saw coming, but apparently weren’t adequately prepared for.

While the loss of Glenn was bad enough, Johnson’s exit seems to be causing more concern behind closed doors. The offense was the primary driving force behind Detroit’s success the past three years. The Lions hired veteran assistant John Morton to replace him. Justin Rogers of Detroit Football Network said the transition has been “rockier than desired.” It probably wasn’t helped by an ugly performance in the Hall of Fame game that saw the offense score just seven points. It took 17 plays to go 65 yards on that drive. The Lions turned it over four times (three INTs and one on downs).

The Detroit Lions deserve criticism for not having a plan.

Now, maybe Morton ultimately pans out fine. Transitions can be difficult sometimes. Still, it’s not like he was the first choice in the minds of many. He had only one year of coordinating experience in the NFL with the Jets. It didn’t go well. Some felt his work in Denver developing rookie QB Bo Nix absolved him of those issues, but anybody with common sense knew most of the credit went to head coach Sean Payton for that. The Detroit Lions should’ve done the smart thing and pursued the most qualified coordinator they could find. Las Vegas hired Chip Kelly right after he won a national championship for Ohio State. They could’ve handed the job to the former Stanford head coach David Shaw. He had extensive coordinating experience. Making him the passing game coordinator instead was puzzling.

Either way, the lack of a strong backup plan for Johnson’s departure may become a critical pivot point in franchise history.

There’s been plenty of speculation and mixed reports about Caleb Williams’ performance at Bears training camp. One viral clip showed him missing the net four times during a speed-throwing drill, which raised (national media) concerns. But there have also been highlights and reports of him looking sharp and showing real progress.

In the latest episode of Bears Film Room, Jeff from DaBearsBlog shared some insider insight. He said he reached out to someone close to the team to get an honest read on how the Bears — and head coach Ben Johnson — feel about their quarterback. The response was encouraging.

“I reached out to one person who told me it is going great. They are absolutely loving the process. They have a system in place and they’re sticking to it. And Caleb is getting better and better. One thing to note is that the defense is playing really well — and that’s a good thing.”

The Bears will face the Miami Dolphins in joint practice on Friday, which will be a real test for the team and for Williams. Tuesday’s practice was reportedly the most physical practice the Bears have had in years, with multiple fights breaking out — making the timing perfect to compete against a different opponent. For Williams, this matchup will serve as a great benchmark to gauge his development in Ben Johnson’s offense.

If you want all the inside scoops from training camp and what’s really going on at Halas Hall, be sure to check out the latest episode of Bears Film Room. You can watch the full episode below.