The Chicago Bears were hoping for a revolutionary season. Several people predicted that the team would be back in the playoff picture, thanks to drafting generational quarterback Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick.
However, a subpar rookie season, along with some dreadful coaching miscues, led Chicago to just five wins on the season. Now, with an offensive genius in Ben Johnson as their new head coach, there is optimism for a better year in the Windy City. However, there might be some moves coming to fastrack Williams’ growth.
Chicago Bears Predicted To Strengthen QB Room
While there were some highlights, the overall season had to be considered a massive disappointment for both Williams and the Bears. Marked by a 10-game losing streak from Week 8 to Week 17, it doomed Chicago’s season completely.
The appointment of Johnson should bring some changes to the team, as well as the play of Williams, who had to go from too explosive to too conservative midway through the year. It led to an atrocious offense that finished third-worst in the league, per PFSN’s Offense+ metric.
On the year, Williams finished with 3,541 passing yards and ranked 33rd on PFSN’s QB+ metric. With this in mind, Sports Illustrated’s Conor Orr believes there needs to be a more significant change than just Johnson’s arrival.
“The Bears will draft a quarterback … in the late rounds of this year’s draft and sign Teddy Bridgewater to back up Caleb Williams.”
Orr believes that the addition of two other quarterbacks should help in Williams’ development.
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“The education of Williams begins with Ben Johnson now in tow, and part of that education will be clearing the decks in the QB room and bringing in passers who can elevate Williams and help him realize his full potential.”
Teddy Bridgewater had a nearly decade-long tenure in the NFL, playing for multiple teams mostly as a backup. Now a coach of Miami Northwestern, Bridgewater made a shocking return toward the end of last season to back up Jared Goff on the Detroit Lions.
It looks like he might come back for some more playing time and could be a valuable asset in teaching Williams the ins and outs of the game, given his experience on multiple teams and systems.
Chicago’s priority has to be its franchise quarterback, and his development might be the sole focus of the offseason.