A QB picked first overall could come in expecting preferential treatment. And maybe, Caleb Williams was no different. But after a rocky rookie season and an overhaul in coaching staff, the offseason had no gray but only honest feedback waiting for Williams. All Williams could muster up to say was, “[Ben Johnson’s] been tough on me.” Or, shall we say, relentless?

Growth requires work, most of which happens away from the field. And you could see some of that on display when the first-team offense lined up against the Bills on Sunday. Williams made his preseason debut under Johnson and led the Bears on a seven-play, 92-yard scoring drive, culminating with him connecting with Olamide Zaccheaus for a 36-yard touchdown. Although the second series wasn’t as successful, it was overall a productive one. 

Williams completed 6-of-10 passes for 107 yards, one touchdown, and a 130.0 passer rating. But reassuring was seeing that Williams knew what he was doing, and most importantly, looked comfortable doing it. At the end of the day, the Bears cruised to a dominant 38-0 preseason victory. Shortly after, Johnson stopped by the Up & Adams Show, and had a straight face when asked how he would describe Williams’ statement. “I think that’s the natural course of coaching. You know, you gotta tell guys when it’s good. You gotta tell them when it’s bad. 

“We’ve had a healthy back and forth, and he’s learning. He’s grown. He’s a young player. But I think when you’re young, you want to be coached hard because that’s going to pull out the best in you, and he’s been that way. That’s been his approach.

“He’s been very receptive, very coachable, and we see him getting better every day.” Caleb Williams has a two-fold target this season. One, break the Bears‘ single-season passing record with 4,000 yards, as he had claimed. And two, hit a 70% completion rate, a benchmark set by his new HC Ben Johnson.

Being present for a league-leading 68 sacks last year, and never missing a game, tells a story. But so does the tape that’s reviewed after the game is done. Chicago’s staff pointed out the small things: how long it took him to get up after a hit, what that body language said to everyone else in the huddle. The conclusion was: this is not how a franchise quarterback should carry himself. 

But credit goes to Williams for never shying away from owning his part of the problem. He’s admitted to holding the ball too long, something that inflated his 28.2% pressure-to-sack rate, meaning more than one out of every four pressures ended with him on the ground. That tendency to extend plays didn’t just lead to sacks; it drove 19 turnover-worthy plays last season, per Pro Football Focus. Add in missed opportunities downfield, and the picture is clear: for Chicago to climb out of a five-win season, Williams has to speed up his decision-making and clean up the mechanics that cost drives in 2024. Johnson’s fix for all of these hasn’t been to pile on but to offer the QB a better structure. 

He got rookie tight end Colston Loveland and slot receiver Luther Burden III for quick, high-percentage throws; a rebuilt offensive line to keep him upright; and a heavier dose of the run game to trim down those 682 dropbacks from last year. This way, Williams can play less hero ball and have more rhythm. Plus, the scheme fits Johnson’s track record of turning Jared Goff into an MVP candidate in Detroit.

Sure, it’s only August, and exhibition football doesn’t hand out any guarantees. But after a year defined by growing pains, that Sunday night did offer a hint of promise that a young quarterback is finding his footing under a coach who refuses to let him settle.