Caleb Williams had an up-and-down rookie season as the Chicago Bears went 5-12, finishing last in the NFC North. He threw for 3,541 yards, 20 touchdowns, and six interceptions while completing 62.5% of his pass attempts, adding 489 rushing yards on 81 carries.
The first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft took 68 sacks as a rookie, tied for the third-most in NFL history. The Bears have looked to upgrade their offensive line around Williams, while also bringing in former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to serve as their head coach. Colin Cowherd recently discussed the dynamic between the new head coach and his starting quarterback.
Colin Cowherd Discusses Fit Between Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams
While the Bears are looking to take a major step forward in 2025, much of that will depend on the development of Williams. Cowherd recently discussed the fit of the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner and his head coach. Speaking on Fox Sports 1’s “The Herd”, the sports media personality stated:
“The Chicago Bears, they want Caleb Williams – they want to improve on body language, and number two, pre-snap procedure. It’s one of the rare criticisms I had of Caleb in college – he could be moody. He got a little bit moody and kind of checked out. I think, ideally, you’d want your quarterback to be Jalen Hurts – stoic.
“You could be fiery, but you can’t be pouty. You can be aggressive, but you can’t have an attitude. Of the pre-snap concerns, I think a lot of that was just he didn’t have a very good coaching staff. What I do find with a lot of the great quarterbacks of all-time – Peyton Manning is like this – they think like accountants.
“Precision, details, almost mathy. Caleb’s a creative. Lamar [Jackson] is a creative, [Patrick] Mahomes is creative, Steve Young. They’re harder to coach. It takes a great coach, not a good coach. And Caleb didn’t have that last year. I was expecting, I was hoping that Ben Johnson’s impact would be immediate. The impact has not quite been immediate.”
“Ideally, you want your quarterback to be like Jalen Hurts… You can be fiery, but you can’t be pouty.”@ColinCowherd comments on the current dynamic between new Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson and starting QB Caleb Williams. pic.twitter.com/mYjRItLMyq
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) May 28, 2025
It is difficult to know Johnson’s true impact on Williams as the Bears are in the midst of voluntary organized team activities. In fact, it will likely take quite some time before being able to give a verdict on the impact of the first-time head coach. Chicago will kick off their regular season on September 8 as they host the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football. Williams ranked 33rd in PFSN’s QB+ metric as a rookie.