If the Chicago Bears are going to show improvement this season under new head coach Ben Johnson, they are going to need a big showing from quarterback Caleb Williams.
Williams, the No. 1 overall pick from the 2024 NFL Draft, struggled for consistency last year, suffering a four-game touchdown drought and showing poor clock management skills at times. There is more than enough talent to suggest that Williams can be a starting quarterback in the NFL but not every is convinced by his early showing in Bears training camp.
Speaking on The Rich Eisen Show this week, analyst Albert Breer had a fairly bleak outlook for Chicago fans after seeing Williams out on the turf.
“I think Caleb’s got a ways to go,” Breer began. “It did not look good the day I was there and when I talk to people about why it looks that way, it’s because they’re trying to make him throw a fire hose.
He continued: “Developmentally he had a long way to go, coming out of USC. Then he had a really sideways rookie year. And you can see when you watch the difference in the speed of the operation when Case Keenum or Tyson Bagent is in there, versus where it is with Caleb Williams.”
“They’re just trying to overload him... to try to speed up his process, his learning. And the plan if from here they will start to narrow it down.”
Breer continued: “I think there’s a method to what Ben Johnson is doing, I would trust him with a quarterback, but you can see developmentally it was like a thoroughbred horse that you’re trying to break, to get them to do exactly what you need them to do.
That was pretty much backed up by Johnson, the man who was brought in to get the best out of Williams at QB. The 39-year-old spoke to reporters on Monday and admitted that he’s going to be pushing Williams to his limits, building up the experience needed to thrive in the NFL.
“I saw a guy with immense potential. Every week he made throws that made you drop your jaw a little bit. Hell, I experienced it when I was standing on the sideline when he played against us,” said Johnson, who was offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions last year.
“But what you also see is a lack of anticipation at times, which - that comes with reps - you gotta do things over and over again. That’s not abnormal for a rookie quarterback.
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