As Bears quarterback Caleb Williams’ popularity skyrockets amid the expectation that he’s on the brink of joining the NFL’s elite passers, it’s not surprising that some in the league might already be getting tired of hearing about it.
Most notably, he’s on the cover of the forthcoming Madden 27 video game, a distinction that recently went to players who already had become All-Pros, MVPs and champions like Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and Saquon Barkley.
The reality is that Williams isn’t in those guys’ class yet and is very much still a work in progress, something he and coach Ben Johnson have been saying for months. He led some incredible comebacks and delivered some incomparable throws; He also finished last in completion percentage and 22nd in passer rating.
That became a talking point 1,000 miles away at Jaguars training camp, where coach Liam Coen highlighted the contrast between the hype about Williams and the minimal attention his team gets.
“This is the best part of coaching the Jacksonville Jaguars: You don’t have to make up [stuff to tell your players],” Coen said on radio station 1010 XL. “You don’t have to make up the fire. It’s given to us every day. It’s a gift from the heavens.
“I just pull out my phone, look up the [NFL] website and I’m just curious if I see any photos or anything about the Jacksonville Jaguars. I’ll see 40 pictures of Caleb Williams and I won’t see a single thing about any of our players on here. It’s beautiful … I’m just going to tell all these guys how much you all think they suck, and we’ll just keep going.”
“All I’ll see is 40 pictures of Caleb Williams… and not a single thing about any of our players.” 😂
Liam Coen had a hilarious way of describing why he loves coaching the Jaguars on The Drill with Dan Hicken and Jeff Prosser.
🎥 WATCH NOW: https://t.co/E5etiiSE3n#DUUUVAL |… pic.twitter.com/idQZCvDMkK
— 1010 XL / 92.5 FM (@1010XL) July 30, 2026
Williams, who revels in being ripped, reposted the widely viewed view clip of Coen’s comments on his X account.
Predictably, Johnson wasn’t in much of a mood to talk about it before practice Friday and quickly responded, “Well, we’re the No. 1 regression candidate. So we’ve got plenty of motivation ourselves.”
There’s no actual statistic for that, but many are skeptical about the Bears coming off a stunning 11-6 season built on improbable late escapes as they now face, on paper, the hardest schedule in the NFL. They’re 15th in odds to win the Super Bowl, behind NFC North rivals the Packers and Lions.
As for another coach tossing Williams’ name around, that’s another non-concern.
“He’s used to handling a lot of attention, so I’m not worried about that,” Johnson said.
The Bears host the Jaguars, who won the AFC South at 13-4 last season, in Week 13.