Caleb Williams’ rookie season with the Chicago Bears was a bit of a disappointment. After all the hype that comes with a first overall pick, Williams didn’t hit the ground running, and Chicago could only manage five victories last year.
Individually, it was a decent year for Williams, but he didn’t blow people away like Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, for example. However, an offensive line overhaul and the appointment of Ben Johnson as the new head coach have given people renewed hope, including legendary quarterback Peyton Manning.
Why Peyton Manning Has High Hopes for Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams’ Second Year
The two quarterbacks were part of a group of five that were in attendance for the Fanatics Fest held in New York City from June 20-22. Their “Franchise Faces” panel, featuring Giants legend Eli Manning, Houston Texans’ C.J. Stroud and Carolina Panthers’ Bryce Young, was hosted by analyst Kay Adams.
The ordeal saw Adams pose a bunch of questions to the aptly named franchise quarterbacks, with the live crowd chipping in for some additional tidbits. Towards the end of the event, Peyton went into detail about each young QB in attendance, beginning with the USC product.
“What I’m excited about Caleb is that Ben Johnson is his new head coach,” Peyton said. “He’s also the offensive coordinator, and when your head coach is calling the plays, that means it’s going to be the same system every single year.”
Many times, quarterbacks face early career setbacks thanks to changing offensive coordinators and systems. San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones is a recent example of the phenomenon, as he went from a playoff-leading, Pro Bowl rookie season with the New England Patriots in 2021 to the doldrums of the league in a matter of seasons.
For Williams, after head coach Matt Eberflus and offensive coordinator Shane Waldron were both fired, there was real worry about the promising quarterback suffering a similar fate thanks to a revolving door. But hiring Johnson, one of the brightest offensive minds in the league, might be a home run for the Bears.
Last season, he was the architect of the division-rival Detroit Lions’ No. 1 offense, according to PFSN’s Offense+ metric. The expectation is that he’ll cook up a similarly excellent year for Chicago and Williams.
“It’s just a great chance to have continuity and growth,” Peyton said. “Caleb’s in his second year, and this is already his third offensive coordinator. I was fortunate I played for the same coordinator for 14 years.”
Peyton, on his end, was able to leverage that into becoming one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, winning five MVPs (the most in NFL history) and two Super Bowls during his 18-year career.
Williams, after finishing 33rd on PFSN’s QB+ metric last season, is going to hope to finish closer to Johnson’s last quarterback, Jared Goff (2nd), as he enters his sophomore year. But, while Peyton and Bears fans might be extremely optimistic, the end product has to match the expectation.
