The core part of Caleb Williams' struggles as a rookie was the sheer volume of pressure and sacks he took. The 68 sacks he took was 16 more than any other quarterback last year, and deeper data shows he was responsible for a lot of his protection issues.
Pro Football Focus, which graded the Bears' offensive line as a top-10 pass blocking unit, gave Williams responsibility for 17 of the sacks he took last year. On the flip side, per Next Gen Stats, Williams also had league highs in unblocked pressures (57) and unblocked sacks (13).
So better blocking and Williams playing better within the structure of a better offensive scheme should lead to a noticeable reduction in the volume of pressure and sacks he takes this season.
On the first matter, the Bears overhauled their interior offensive line with trades for guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson and the signing center Drew Dalman in free agency.
The biggest position battle heading into Bears' training camp was clearly left tackle, with a wide-open competition in store. The competition seemed to naturally sort itself out, but earlier this week on 670 The Score's "Mully and Haugh" head coach Ben Johnson was not ready to name a starter.
"I'm treating the entire roster all the same, we're not naming starters right now, we're not even talking about Week 1 yet," Johnson said. "I know Minnesota is coming up around the corner, this week it's still about us. We're just focused on us. I'm not in the business of talking about starters yet, next week we'll handle all of that......I want to keep the main thing the main thing, that's not to distract from the battle we've had at left tackle, I'm just not at the point to anoint anybody at any position."
Johnson not being willing, at least publicly, to officially name a starting left tackle is fine in a broad sense. But the importance of the position makes it a legit point of contention/concern, especially since we pretty much know who it will be (at least to start the season).
Bears' biggest X-factor for 2025 is obvious (even if Ben Johnson won't name him)
ESPN's Ben Solak has named who he sees as the biggest non-quarterback (and non-rookie) X-factor for each NFL team as the 2025 season approaches.
For the Bears, the biggest X-factor under that criteria should not be all that surprising.
Braxton Jones, the presumed (and yet to be revealed, officially) starting left tackle.
"The Bears have a lot of question marks on offense, but most are not make-or-break issues. If Rome Odunze doesn't completely pan out, the Bears have other pass catchers. If Caleb Williams doesn't totally exorcise his bad-sack demons, the offense can still move the ball. But one issue feels integral to a big Bears season: functional left tackle play."
"There's been a massive battle, but it looks as if incumbent veteran Jones is going to fend off the challengers. Jones won the job in 2022 as an impressive fifth-round rookie out of Southern Utah, but his play has diminished since then and has been compounded by nagging injuries. Jones' best games have always looked great; it's the inconsistent showings and sudden dramatic struggles that make it difficult to scheme around him. The entire interior of the Bears' O-line was retooled, but the left tackle battle has deprived it of chemistry-building time as a unit. Jones must be a leader and a tone-setter from day one if the Bears' offense is going to be what many hope and believe it can."
Jones has been objectively fine, if inconsistent and occasionally injured, as the Bears' left tackle over the last three seasons. Having Thuney next to him at left guard will be very helpful to him in elevating his game this season, but being more consistent (of course, assuming health) rests solely with him.
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Jones is least a top, if not the No. 1, non-quarterback x-factor for the Bears this season. But a fully healthy 2025 season where he performs well is also personally important, since he's in a contract year.