All eyes will be on Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams as he prepares to learn from new head coach Ben Johnson. How he prepares during the offseason will be crucial once the games start counting.
With Johnson in place, Williams should be preparing for an entirely different atmosphere. Hopes were high under former head coach Matt Eberflus at first, but those quickly faded. As Williams and Johnson team up, they must find a way to not only bolster the Bears’ production on the field, but set a new culture for the franchise.
When the offseason program begins, Williams will have a major opportunity to prove he is ready for a 2025 breakout. While it won’t be an immediate sign of success, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune wrote that Williams shining during seven-on-seven drills would be very telling for his immediate outlook.
“Second, I’d be looking for production in seven-on-seven drills,” Biggs wrote. “These are series heavily tilted in favor of the offense. There’s no pass rush. Throwing windows should be clear and defined. It doesn’t represent real football, but the Bears offense has been mostly terrible in seven-on-seven for I don’t know how many summers now. The ball has been on the ground too often with incomplete passes. There have been way, way too many check-downs. Rarely has the offense just sliced up the defense in seven-on-seven.”
“That’s why I’ve been tepid — at best — about the outlook for the offense by the time September rolls around each year. I’ve seen the offense struggle in seven-on-seven and it has been a precursor of things to come,” Biggs continued. “Contrary to the opinion of some, it’s not always a sign that the defense will be awesome.”
“This isn’t to say that if the Bears offense all of a sudden is productive in seven-on-seven settings, the passing game would be cleared for takeoff. But it would be a good sign and very well could signal significant improvement,” Biggs concluded. “This isn’t all on Williams, but he’s the biggest piece to it. So pay attention to seven-on-seven and if there’s a real difference from what we’ve seen since Jay Cutler was playing quarterback for the Bears.”
Chicago Bears quarterback history
Cutler last played for the Bears in 2016. Since then, Chicago has had 10 different quarterbacks under center. They’ve had plenty of veterans get an opportunity such as Nick Foles, Chase Daniel and Andy Dalton. However, until the arrival of Williams, the Bears’ quarterback history over the last decade has been focused on Mitch Trubisky and Justin Fields.
Trubisky was selected No. 2 overall in the 2017 NFL Draft; the same year the Kansas City Chiefs selected Patrick Mahomes at No. 10. The quarterback appeared in 50 games for Chicago, starting 50 of them. Trubisky went 29-21 while throwing for 10,609 yards, 64 touchdowns and 37 interceptions. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 2018.
But when their pairing eventually came to an end, the Bears turned to Fields with the No. 11 pick in 2021. He appeared in 40 games with the team, starting 38 of them and going 10-28. He threw for 6,674 yards, 40 touchdowns and 30 interceptions. Fields dazzled with his legs in Chicago, running for 2,220 yards and 14 touchdowns.
While both players showed flashes at times, neither were the right fit for the Bears. The franchise is hoping third time is the charm with Williams.
Make or break year for Caleb Williams
While Williams is only entering his sophomore season, the 2025 campaign will be a high-pressure environment for Williams. Bears fans have seen highly drafted quarterbacks play their way out of Chicago too often. Williams must prove he isn’t like the rest and that the team can truly build around him.
As a rookie, the quarterback completed 62.5 percent of his passes for 3,541 yards, 20 touchdowns and six interceptions. He proved he was a better passing option than Fields. However, Williams did not look like the No. 1 pick quarterback the Bears expected him to be.
Part of that was on the franchise itself. Their offensive line wasn’t of league average and the coaching staff was consistently changing. At the same time, Williams must learn to take what the defense gives him and to not hold onto the ball too long.
The Bears have spent all offseason building around their quarterback. The 2025 NFL Draft gives them another opportunity to give their offense a bit more juice. But if Williams can’t put all the pieces together, his story will be one of another dreary, bleak Chicago quarterback disaster.
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