How Bears' Caleb Williams is using his car to prepare for second pro season

The struggles of Caleb Williams as he worked under first-year head coach Ben Johnson throughout training camp sparked concerns among Chicago Bears fans regarding what the quarterback will and won't be during his second pro season. 

On Thursday, ESPN's Courtney Cronin shared a unique way that Williams is attempting to improve ahead of the Bears' Week 1 game against the Minnesota Vikings on Monday, Sept. 8. 

"He says he listens to voice recordings of his playcalls at the line of scrimmage and yells out his cadence while driving in his car to get more comfortable with using his vocal inflection as a weapon," Cronin wrote about Williams. "Johnson said that the amount Williams is responsible for 'mentally' is likely greater in this offense than it has been at any other point of his career."

Williams reportedly had serious concerns about being selected by the Bears with the first overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft before he endured the in-season firings of offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and head coach Matt Eberflus as a rookie. In July, Williams acknowledged he will need to do more to help out what should be an improved offensive line after he took a league-high 68 sacks last season. 

Williams will also need to bounce back from what proved to be a difficult summer. 

"The six weeks of training camp provided a constant challenge for Williams," Cronin explained. "A 12-part install produced days when the offense struggled as pre-snap penalties crushed momentum. There were instances when Williams broke the huddle too late to get set at the line of scrimmage, diagnose the defense and get the ball snapped. Lengthy playcalls and new verbiage became obstacles."

Williams left much to be desired with his play as the 2024 Bears suffered 10 straight defeats. According to Pro Football Reference, he ended the campaign ranked 31st in the league among qualified players with a 46.7 adjusted QBR, 31st with a 62.5 percent completion percentage and 24th with an 87.8 passer rating. 

Meanwhile, Jayden Daniels guided the Washington Commanders to the NFC Championship Game less than a year after Washington made him the second overall choice of the 2024 draft. 

Williams recently told Cronin that it "doesn't bother me what people have to say about me because I know what I am." Johnson hopes that confidence will result in Williams silencing those who think Chicago should've drafted Daniels in the spring of 2024.