Chicago Bears’ Caleb Williams, Ben Johnson put on red alert by Adam Schefter

As soon as the Chicago Bears hired Ben Johnson as their next head coach, the franchise’s momentum immediately started pointing up. But this is still the same franchise that is coming off of a 5-12 season and hasn’t made the playoffs since 2020. They haven’t won a postseason game since 2010.

Still, there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the Bears entering 2025. Johnson helped the Detroit Lions become one of the best offensive teams in the NFL. The idea of him bringing that brand of football to Chicago is tantalizing. If Caleb Williams lives up to his No. 1 pick potential, Johnson has a potent building block to work with. The franchise has done everything in their power to put Williams in a place to succeed entering his sophomore season.

But with massive hype also comes a whirlwind of expectations. The Bears have earned the all familiar ‘offseason champions,’ moniker for how they built their roster. But Adam Schefter of ESPN sent a worrying reminder to both Johnson and Williams of what they must accomplish in 2025.

“Think about the expectations that are on Caleb Williams compared to the way we are talking about Jayden Daniels. It’s night and day,” Schefter said. “You would never imagine that these two players were one pick apart in the draft. That is where Ben Johnson, the new head coach comes in. That is what the Bears are banking on.”

“I know they went out and added three offensive lineman and another tight end and another wide receiver. But really, this comes down to whether Ben Johnson can make Caleb Williams the quarterback the Bears thought they were getting when they drafted him No. 1 overall, one slot before Washington took Jayden Daniels.”

“You bring in the quarterback guru, the man who has helped grow Jared Goff, who has been a wizard wherever he has been, who can help Caleb Williams take that next step to be the quarterback they thought they were getting,” Schefter concluded. “If they can, then who knows if nine wins is the limit. Anything is possible if Ben Johnson can make Caleb Williams the quarterback the Bears think he is.”