Bears’ Ben Johnson Has Strong Words For QB Caleb Williams at OTAs

Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson is seeing a different quarterback room this spring, and much of that confidence starts with franchise quarterback Caleb Williams.

Speaking during organized team activities this week, Johnson praised the progress Williams and the entire quarterback group have made entering their second year in the system.

Rather than spending valuable practice time teaching the offense from scratch, Johnson said the focus has shifted toward refining details and expanding the offense.

“Everyone knows what the expectations are in the building, what meetings look like,” Johnson said. “There’s just a different level of, I don’t want to say comfort, but they know. They know what it’s supposed to look like.”

Johnson noted that the quarterbacks are operating with a much better understanding of the offense compared to this time a year ago, allowing the unit to play faster and more efficiently.

“From an offensive perspective, you certainly see a lot of guys picking up where they left off, and I know our quarterback room is at a different place than it was a year ago,” Johnson said. “You see that guys aren’t thinking as much. They’re now being able to play faster.”

With Williams entering a pivotal third season, Johnson believes the young quarterback is taking ownership of the offense in ways that extend far beyond simply throwing the football.

Bears Challenging Williams to Reach Another Level

While Johnson has been encouraged by Williams’ development, the Bears coaching staff is pushing their quarterback to improve in one key area: completion percentage.

Williams completed 58.1% of his passes during the 2025 season, and Johnson made it clear that number needs to rise. 

According to the Bears head coach, elite quarterbacks consistently approach the 70% mark, while anything above 65% is a strong benchmark.

To reinforce that emphasis, Chicago is tracking every throw made during practices. Quarterbacks receive daily reports detailing completion percentages, drops, scramble-drill outcomes and overall efficiency.

“Completion percentage is something that we’re going to emphasize,” Johnson said. “They got the chart of what was our completion percentage, who had drops, what did our scramble drill look like.”

Johnson added that the goal isn’t simply completing more passes. The Bears want Williams to improve his ball placement so playmakers can maximize yards after the catch.

Bears’ Caleb Williams Already Delivering Highlight-Reel Plays

Even with the emphasis on operating within structure, the Bears have no intention of taking away what makes Williams special.

That was evident during Thursday’s OTA practice when Williams delivered a stunning deep pass while rolling outside the pocket to wide receiver Rome Odunze. 

Backup quarterback Case Keenum estimated the throw traveled roughly 67 yards in the air, immediately becoming one of the highlights of the offseason.

Wide receiver Luther Burden III praised the play afterward, noting the offense has spent considerable time working on scramble-drill situations throughout the spring.

The big throw to Odunze wasn’t Williams’ only highlight of the day. He also connected with running back D’Andre Swift on a wheel route for another explosive gain and completed a deep pass to rookie receiver Zavion Thomas.

It’s still early in the offseason program, but the reviews surrounding Williams have been overwhelmingly positive. 

More importantly for the Bears, Johnson believes his quarterback is operating with a confidence and command that simply wasn’t possible this time last year.

For a franchise hoping Williams can take a major leap in Year 3, that’s exactly the type of praise Bears fans were hoping to hear.

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