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NFL insider shares promising update on Caleb Williams' growth with Ben Johnson

Originally posted on Chicago Bears on SI | By Bryan Perez | Last updated May 27, 2025 12:23 PM ET

Caleb Williams will begin his second season with the Chicago Bears with as much pressure as any starting quarterback in the NFL. It comes with the territory of being the first-overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, and getting lapped by fellow 2024 draft pick Jayden Daniels in the race for the league's next superstar passer didn't help his cause.

But 2025 will offer Williams and the Bears a fresh start by way of new head coach Ben Johnson, who Sports Illustrated NFL insider Albert Breer said is already hard at work with Williams to create a new level of success in Chicago.

"Progress, thus far, has been steady, and Williams is working at it," Breer wrote. "The Bears adding Case Keenum to the quarterback room was, indeed, intentional, and Williams has taken advantage of it, in using Keenum almost as another coach after hours (to work around the CBA-mandated limits on what the coaches can actually do with the players at this point in the calendar). And, on the field, Williams has been good for at least one “did he really do that?” throw every day."

Williams came under fire in recent weeks with ESPN's report on the soon-to-be released book, "American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback," in which it was revealed that Caleb and his father weren't all that excited about the prospects of becoming a Bear.

But that's ancient history, and the Williams-Johnson duo is already shaping up to be a good one.

"The 23-year-old was there, alongside DJ Moore and Rome Odunze, for (Johnson's) introductory press conference, which is a small, but notable, thing for a guy to do coming off his rookie year," Breer wrote. "That, in turn, gave the two their first chance to sit down and talk face-to-face. And it also showed that Williams had an understanding of the responsibility that would come with his place as the Bears’ franchise quarterback, which would be Johnson’s starting point anyway."

While it's true that Williams didn't have a perfect showing during the Chicago Bears' first OTAs session last week, it's also true that he's in the very early stages of learning Johnson's offense. It will be a challenging offseason ahead for the young quarterback, but one that he's clearly embracing in his quest to become one of the NFL's best starters.

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

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