As he enters his second year as head coach of the Chicago Bears, Ben Johnson is making it no secret that he feels star quarterback Caleb Williams still hasn’t reached his full potential.
Johnson told The Athletic’s Dan Wiederer that he’s hoping to see Williams make major improvements in multiple areas ahead of the 2026 season.
“There are going to be a number of snaps on tape where he’ll look at it and be like, ‘Man, I’ve got to put this ball six inches further out in front.’ Or ‘I need to put this a little bit lower.’ Things of that nature,” Johnson said. “Really, he’s got to challenge himself. We’re going to challenge him. But he has to acknowledge, ‘I need to be better in these areas.'”
While the Bears went 11-6 and won their first NFC North title since 2018 before losing in the Divisional Round of the playoffs, Williams showed that he still needs some time to develop. The 2024 No. 1 pick threw for 3,942 yards, 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions, but he only completed 58.1 percent of his passes.
Wiederer noted that Johnson “has been consistent in pushing for his wish of a 70 percent completion rate for Williams,” though he’d settle for a jump to 65 percent this season.
“When you watch our self-scout (video),” Johnson said, “we’ve probably got 80 to 100 completions left on the table. I think he’s going to recognize that.”
Still, Johnson acknowledged that Williams’ late-game heroics were a key part of Chicago’s success last season, so he’s not trying to change that aspect of his game.
“When we need to be at our best in the fourth quarter, that has to stay the same,” Johnson said.