Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson spoke to the media for the first time since the team arrived for training camp, and he already has some goals set for his quarterback Caleb Williams.
While speaking with the media, Johnson discussed multiple aspects of the team, with Williams being a significant topic. Johnson already has one specific goal he wants Williams to focus on reaching in his second NFL season.
"I told him I would love for him this season to complete 70% of his balls," Johnson said via ESPN. "So, you would like to think that over the course of practice that we're completing 70% or more, or that's hard to just magically arise in a game. It's a lofty goal, but it's one we're going to strive for. Because of that, we're going to use that as a benchmark and kind of work from there."
Williams might have some work to do to get there
Chicago has not had the best history of quarterbacks, as the franchise has yet to have a quarterback pass for 4,000 yards in a single season. Williams halted at 3,541 yards with 20 touchdowns to six interceptions last year. Not a bad rookie year, but his 68 sacks were the most in the NFL, and he had 10 fumbles.
Johnson has been working closely with Williams on various projects during the offseason in workouts. The focus has been on getting the ball out quicker and having a better body language when something doesn’t go his way on the field.
It appears that a lot has already changed with Williams, as he acts like a franchise quarterback. He has embraced Johnson’s tough coaching, showing up for rookie OTAs when he didn’t have to, and arrived at training camp with the rookies three days earlier than the veterans were required to.
The 2025 season already feels significantly different from what it was like in Chicago last year. Johnson’s new winning culture is contagious, and the team has their sights on achieving what Johnson had when he was with the Detroit Lions as the offensive coordinator.
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Williams appears to understand the importance of embracing changes and improving as a teammate and quarterback. Whether that will translate to a 70% completion percentage is unknown, but it could be done with the right work ethic that he appears to have.