LAKE FOREST, Ill. (670 The Score) – Paired now with second-year quarterback Caleb Williams, new Bears head coach Ben Johnson hopes to rewrite the franchise's troubled history at the quarterback position.
Johnson on Wednesday downplayed comments made by Williams and his father, Carl, in a recently released excerpt of a book by author Seth Wickersham entitled “American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback.” In those excerpts, Williams’ concerns about the Bears in the process leading up to the 2024 NFL Draft became clear.
Williams, who’s now 24, and his father initially researched ways to prevent Williams from being drafted by the Bears at No. 1 overall, according to the book. Eventually, Williams came to believe he could fit with the franchise following a pre-draft visit in April 2024. General manager Ryan Poles was candid about the franchise’s past struggles at the quarterback position in that meeting, and Williams’ mindset shifted. He believes he can rewrite the Bears’ history at quarterback.
For his part, Johnson was well aware of Williams’ pre-draft concerns with the Bears. He also saw the comment from Carl Williams that stated, “Chicago is the place quarterbacks go to die.”
Now, Johnson and Williams hope to change that narrative.
“It starts with developing a rapport and a trust and that's earned over time,” Johnson said Wednesday. “You don't walk in Day 1 and expect that to be achieved, so the more time we spend together, he understands I have his best interests at heart and vice versa. He's going to go out there and play as well as he possibly can – not just for himself or for me but for the whole team and the city. I mean, that's really what it comes down to. So, we're very much aligned in terms of what we want to get done, and it just takes more time on task in terms of getting on the same page with how we're going to do it.
“I love the opportunity to come on in and change that narrative. That's where great stories are written. And so we're looking to write a new chapter here – 2025 Chicago Bears – and looking forward to the future.”
Williams hasn't spoken publicly since his on-the-record comments in the book were released. The Bears didn’t make Williams available for comment Wednesday, declining multiple requests from reporters. He’s expected to address the media at a later point in the offseason program. Johnson and Williams recently had a discussion about the comments in the book.
The book excerpts also underscored the disconnect between Williams and now-former Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, who didn’t watch film with Williams, according to Carl’s comments. As a rookie, Williams was left without the necessary structure at his side, and that came as he frequently expressed a desire to be coached.
During the early phases of this offseason program, Johnson has worked to build a connection with Williams that caters to his personality. The Bears have a revamped coaching staff on offense that understands Williams is the top priority.
“The more time we spend together, the better I feel,” Johnson said. “We got a great coaching staff around him as well with (quarterbacks coach) J.T. Barrett leading the charge, (offensive coordinator Declan Doyle) in the room, (passing game coordinator) Press Taylor’s in the room. So, we got some good, seasoned voices in there.
“(Veteran backup quarterback Case Keenum) has done a great job with his experience bridging that gap sometimes between coaching and playing and finding any potholes that could be in there. So, I feel really good about the mix around him, and that allows that relationship just to naturally form.
“The great ones, they want to be coached hard.”
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.