The Chicago Bears and their fans have reasons to be optimistic for the 2025 NFL season, as new head coach Ben Johnson will get to bring his ultra-effective offensive passing game to a team that is being led by a budding former No. 1 overall pick in Caleb Williams.
According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, Williams' skills continue to impress his teammates. Veteran defensive back Kevin Byard, who has seen a thing or two in this league and played with many different quarterbacks, is well aware of just how high the ceiling is for No. 18.
"He's probably the most talented quarterback I ever played with," Byard said, via ESPN. "He's made some throws every single day that make you say, 'Wow,' and if he continues to do that consistently, he's going to take us where we need to go."
Keep in mind, Byard did play with Super Bowl champion Jalen Hurts. If Byard can see the immense talent that Williams has at his disposal, it's only a matter of time before he manages to finally make all of the jigsaw pieces fit together.
Bears DB Kevin Byard has an incredible compliment for Caleb Williams
Training camp has been up-and-down for Williams, as is the case with any young player trying to learn a new offense. While there have been quite a few poor interceptions on the ledger for No. 18, his arm talent and ability to lead the offense have drawn plenty of praise from his new head coach.
Getting coached hard will be good for Williams, who has advocated for Johnson to be as blunt with him as possible. He built up some scar tissue last season, as he lost his offensive coordinator very early in the season, and his replacement was promoted to head coach after Matt Eberflus was fired.
After all of that, Williams still managed to throw for 20 touchdowns against just six interceptions, setting the record for most consecutive passes by a rookie without an interception. The film shows more mistakes than the raw counting stats would indicate, but those numbers are incredibly impressive for a rookie behind a UFL offensive line.
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Talent has never been a question with Williams, and he seems to have the work ethic Johnson is looking for. Putting it altogether when live bullets start flying will ultimately decide if Williams will make good on that talent or join Chicago's QB graveyard.