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Why Bears HC Ben Johnson is just scratching the surface with Caleb Williams
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- Why Bears HC Ben Johnson is just scratching the surface with Caleb Williams
Why Bears HC Ben Johnson is just scratching the surface with Caleb Williams appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The Chicago Bears hired Ben Johnson to boost Caleb Williams ' development and saw their quarterback's numbers improve across the board. Heading into their second year together, Johnson believes they have not even come close to their full potential together and will continue building in 2026.
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The pairing proved to be an immediate success, with the Bears enjoying their most successful season in nearly a decade. Johnson praised Williams' ability to adapt to his coaching style right away and teased that his quarterback would be "lightyears" better in 2026, while noting that he just wants the 24-year-old to "play in structure a bit more" in year three.
"Well, he's done a phenomenal job just picking up the coaching," Johnson said on 'SportsCenter.' There's a lot of new that came in. He just hadn't played a lot of ball in this league yet, and yet he is a phenomenal football player, and he can do some things on his own. We just got to get him to play in structure just a tad bit more. I think he's just gonna be lightyears better just understanding what we're trying to get done. I'm really looking forward going into year two with him."
Williams threw for 3,942 passing yards, 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 2025, while completing 58.2 percent of his passes. Aside from the low completion percentage, the rest of his numbers improved from his rookie season.
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Johnson's assessment of Williams is the same as everyone else's. While improvisation is Williams' biggest strength, it can also be his biggest weakness, as he continues to hold onto the ball much longer than the league average.
Williams will yet again deal with coaching turnover in the 2026 offseason, but also with more consistency. While Chicago lost offensive coordinator Declan Doyle to the Baltimore Ravens , Johnson simply promoted passing game coordinator Press Taylor to fill the role. J.T. Barrett returns for his second season as the Bears' quarterbacks coach.
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