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Caleb Williams learns unexpected lesson in Thursday's practice

Originally posted on Chicago Bears on SI
By Pete Martuneac | Last updated Aug 1, 2025 12:34 PM ET

Football is a game of lightly organized chaos, and it only gets worse at the higher levels. NFL quarterbacks have to process an insane amount of information, both from their own team and the opposing defense, in a matter of moments and that's why there's so few who are truly elite. On top of that, Murphy's Law will occasionally strike in the form of communication failures between the quarterback and his coach.

That's exactly what happened to Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams in practice on Thursday. Despite being his best day of practice so far, thanks in large part to a big day from Luther Burden , a teaching moment arrived unexpectedly. While on the 'Waddle & Silvy' radio show later Thursday afternoon, Williams revealed that his headset cut out in the middle of a team drill, right as the offense was marching downfield. This left him frustrated but head coach Ben Johnson used it as a teaching point.

Caleb Williams joined @WaddleandSilvy and shared a real-time teaching moment from practice today where Ben Johnson showed him exactly how to prepare for unexpected/chaotic moments that are bound to arise in games.

Williams: "We were marching down the field and the headset…
— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) July 31, 2025

This is a real issue that can and does happen in the middle of games, and Williams can't afford to be caught off guard once regular season games are on the line, especially not in a scenario where the offense is driving into scoring range. Johnson knows this, and that's why he told Williams to keep a few plays in mind that he can run if that ever happens again.

It's great advice and exactly the kind of stuff that a coach like Ben Johnson can teach a young quarterback. By picking a few favorite plays, ones that Williams feels most confident in running, he can avert wasting a timeout or taking a delay of game penalty while saving himself some frustration in the process. In a loaded NFC North, a division expected to be the best in the NFL, every game matters and moments like these can be the difference between winning and losing.

Williams is entering a pivotal 2025 season. He needs to build on a solid yet underwhelming rookie year and flash truly elite potential, especially with the rockstar coaching staff around him. Yet Williams has said there's no pressure entering his second season, despite how the situation seems to outside observers. One has to assume that the guiding hand of Ben Johnson is a big reason for Williams' confidence, and the fans will have to hope that it doesn't end up being pure offseason bluster.

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

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