Ben Johnson Reveals Plans For Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears Starters vs. Buffalo Bills

On Wednesday, Johnson spoke to the media after practice and was asked if there is a plan for the game against the Bills, to which the coach answered candidly.

“Our starters are going to play. Everyone’s going to play,” Johnson said.

Johnson reiterated the reason he chose to rest starters, including Williams, was that he felt reps are the most important thing for the team. In the preseason, many teams only play their starters for one series or just a few.

“I’ve been pretty consistent with the thought of reps, reps, reps are the most important thing to get him up to speed. And by the plan we had a week ago, we were able to get him probably somewhere between 80 and 100 more reps than we would have been able to had he played in the game. This week, it’s a different schedule,” Johnson elaborated.

While Williams will be playing, Johnson did add that how much he plays is something that will be determined. The Bears will have a joint practice with the Bills leading up to the game, and the Bears' coach wants to see how that goes before deciding how often the former Trojans quarterback plays.

Patience Needed For Williams

Williams has had an up-and-down training camp, but the time before the regular season is when to make mistakes. The scrutiny came when a video was trending of Williams missing three-check down passes. The next day, Williams was making clean, accurate passes downfield.

Williams is learning a new system ahead of his second season in the NFL after a tough rookie season. Williams was selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft out of USC. There was a lot of excitement as he won the Heisman Trophy with the Trojans in 2022.

In his first season with the Bears, Chicago's coach was Matt Eberflus, and the offensive coordinator was Shane Waldron. Both coaches were let go in November, with Waldron being fired just a couple of weeks before Eberflus. Changing play callers is tough on a rookie, and now heading into his second season, Williams is once again learning a new offense.

As a rookie, Williams did well avoiding turnovers, but had a low completion percentage and was sacked too many times. Williams finished the 2024 season with 3,541 passing yards, 20 touchdowns. He threw six interceptions with a completion percentage of 62.5. He also rushed the ball for 489 yards, but was sacked a league high of 68 times. He lost 466 yards from being sacked.

Hiring Johnson brought back the excitement surrounding Williams' potential. Johnson was the offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions, who had one of the best offenses in the league last season. 

The Lions ranked No. 1 in points per game (33), No. 2 in yards per game (409), and No. 3 in yards per play (6.8). Johnson is someone who can bring out the best in the former Trojans quarterback.

Remaining Preseason Schedule

The Chicago Bears have two preseason games remaining. Williams and the Bears will face the Buffalo Bills on Aug. 17 at 5 p.m. PT. After the game against the Bills, Chicago will face the Kansas City Chiefs on Aug. 22.

Williams and the Chicago Bears will kick off the 2025 regular season on Monday, Sept. 8, against the Minnesota Vikings.

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