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Caleb Williams Reacts To Chicago Bears Hiring Ben Johnson

Originally posted on The Spun | By Chris Rosvoglou | Last updated Jan 20, 2025 4:16 PM ET

Caleb Williams got his wish, or at least we think he did. On Monday, the Chicago Bears agreed to a deal with Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.

Before the Bears finalized a deal with Johnson this week, Williams appeared on Amon-Ra and Equanimeous St. Brown's podcast to talk about his rookie season. When asked about Chicago's coaching search, he made it clear that he wanted an offensive-minded coach.

"Selfishly, I want an offensive-minded guy so I can build with him and be with that coach for the next 19, 17, 15 years, and so I can also learn and grow from him and what he's seen and what he's gone through with maybe other QBs," Williams said.

Well, the Bears checked off that box by hiring Johnson. He was considered by many to be the top coaching option this cycle, receiving interest from several teams, including the Jacksonville Jaguars and Las Vegas Raiders. At the end of the day, Chicago clearly made the best pitch to him.

Although he hasn't released a statement, Williams liked the NFL's Instagram post about Johnson joining the Bears. In this age, that's a fairly strong sign that he approves of the hire.

Caleb Williams has weighed in on his new coach … pic.twitter.com/TWLO8O4sww
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 20, 2025

If Johnson can get Williams to play efficient football in the fall, the Bears will be quite pleased with their decision.

Williams had his fair share of struggles this season, but he showed a ton of resiliency down the stretch.

"Like I've said before, it's new to me. I haven't experienced anything like this. That's the frustrating part. The encouraging part is how much we fight as a team," Williams said. "The encouraging part is us as a team ... being able to go through all of what's happened this year. Me not playing well at the beginning of the season and feeling like I was seeing it well and then being able to find ways to keep growing, keep progressing through those times that I was frustrated. Coaches getting fired and all of this stuff going on, 4-10 right now. Being able to wake up, be consistent, do that every day with how it's been going is encouraging for me. It's encouraging for this team and we've got to keep going. It's been encouraging but also frustrating for myself."

Despite dealing with dysfunction all season long, Williams threw for 3,541 yards with 20 touchdowns and six interceptions during his rookie year.

We'll see if Williams can shine in Johnson's system.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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