When Ben Johnson took over the Bears’ offense last season, he didn’t make things easy for Caleb Williams. Instead, he threw the entire playbook at the young quarterback during training camp to see how much information he could handle.
At the time, the practices looked “horrendous,” but the struggles were part of Johnson’s plan. Growing pains, if you will. The goal was to push Williams outside his comfort zone and prepare him to process the game more quickly once the regular season began. This time around, though, things are different in Chicago.
Bears Insider Impressed With Caleb Williams at Training Camp
Those difficult practices eventually appeared to pay off.
Once the 2025 season began, Williams looked more comfortable and made fewer costly mistakes. He also significantly improved his sack rate compared to his rookie season and helped lead the Bears to the playoffs, where they were eliminated in the Divisional Round.
Williams played all 17 games, completing 330 of 568 passes for 3,942 yards, 27 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He also added 388 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. While he landed at #20 in PFN’s QB Impact Rankings, all the signs point to a smoother landing in his third year.
Bears insider Carmen Vitali explained just how different Williams looked last year compared to this year’s training camp. “Last training camp was horrendous. The way it was a hard watch every single day,” Vitali pointed out on The Mina Kimes Show.
Vitali said the Bears dealt with plenty of procedural penalties and communication issues, with Williams sometimes struggling to properly relay or understand the plays.
Johnson, however, was open about what he was doing. He was intentionally overloading Williams and wasn’t expecting him to look polished right away. Instead, Johnson wanted to discover how much his quarterback could handle.
Fast forward to this year’s camp, and Vitali believes the difference is obvious. “It’s night and day,” she remarked. “The difference is palpable.”
She pointed to Williams’ decisiveness as one of the biggest changes. He’s getting into the huddle with more confidence, communicating clearly, and showing a better understanding of what he needs to do.
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Williams fell just 58 yards short of becoming the first Bears quarterback to throw for 4,000 yards in a season. With another year in Johnson’s system and a better understanding of the offense, that mark could be within his grasp.
Williams also has more freedom to make decisions before the snap, recognize defensive looks, and take advantage of mismatches.
His 27 touchdown passes last season showed that he can finish drives, and another year of continuity could help him become even more effective in the red zone, especially with tight end Colston Loveland and the rest of Chicago’s receiving group.
What looked like a chaotic training camp last year may have been exactly what Williams needed.
Now, with a full season of experience in Johnson’s system and a playoff appearance under his belt, the Bears quarterback appears much more prepared for what comes next.
