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Bears QB Caleb Williams explains what's changed most since last season

Originally posted on Chicago Bears on SI | By Bryan Perez | Last updated Sep 1, 2025 2:34 PM ET

Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams has a lot to prove in 2025. And by a lot, I mean... a lot.

Sure, his rookie season was fine. But for a quarterback prospect who was dubbed generational before the 2024 NFL Draft, getting outplayed by Jayden Daniels, the second overall pick, wasn't the best way to kick off his NFL career.

Having his head coach fired midseason and winning only five games wasn't great for Williams, either.

But if you were paying attention to the Chicago Bears (at all) in 2024, you know that most of the Bears' problems had nothing to do with Williams. The coaching staff was an abomination. The offensive line was, well, an abomination, too.

It's why Chicago made wholesale changes, hiring Ben Johnson as head coach and making massive investements into three new starters up front.

Still, Williams must have a better sophomore season under Johnson than he had as a rookie.

So far, so good. Williams is already benefiting from the big changes inside Halas Hall.

‘‘Last year, I didn’t know what I didn’t know,’’ Williams said, via the Chicago Sun-Times. ‘‘The ‘working hard’ was a little more blind. It was a little more uncertain [whether] I was doing something right. The uncertainty doesn’t help with confidence that your hard work is actually paying off."

Williams was left to fend for himself, even in the quarterback room, where the only other QB worth noting was Tyson Bagent.

Bagent was green behind his ears, too. As an undrafted second-year player from the small-school ranks, he was hardly a source of wisdom for Williams.

Enter Case Keenum, the seasoned pro who will now serve as more coach than backup for Williams.

‘‘Now this year, having a vet, I’m able to ask some questions, understand what worked for me last year, what didn’t," Williams said. "The hard work adds a little more comfort and confidence.’’

For Caleb Williams to have as much success as he did in 2024 with no veteran guidance and no competent coaches is nothing short of remarkable.

The returns in 2025, with Ben Johnson calling plays, should be, too.

This article first appeared on Chicago Bears on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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