Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams showed in 2025 that, despite having a ton thrown at him in head coach Ben Johnson's offense, he could still play at an elite level.
The season wasn't perfect by any stretch of the imagination, with accuracy concerns, but he still managed to nearly throw for just under 4,000 yards and score 31 total touchdowns to just seven interceptions. What made Williams great in 2025 was the spectacular throws he made, including some really risky passes that worked in his favor.
This offseason, Bears quarterbacks coach J.T. Barrett said Williams needed to do less of that and do the small things right to be the elite quarterback everyone knows he can be. Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer also discussed this in his new article, believing there will be a change in Williams' game based on what he saw and heard this offseason.
"One of the best quotes of the spring to help frame the summer and fall came from Bears QBs coach J.T. Barrett, who said that his goal this offseason was to show Caleb Williams that, 'We don’t have to work as hard for our money.' Last summer, Ben Johnson, Declan Doyle and Barrett fed Williams through a fire hose, beating him down with information to build him back up. This summer, I bet we’ll see more of the easy-money things Barrett references, to show the quarterback he doesn’t need to do as much of the spectacular to play winning football."
Caleb Willliams is not going to be the same QB in 2026
The Bears let Williams pass on what he was doing last year since he was still learning the offense and sometimes had to improvise to get a positive play. Williams is at his best when he can do a little bit of freelance backyard football.
Johnson, Barrett, and new offensive coordinator Press Taylor aren't going to want him to do that forever, though. There are plays that Johnson creates that are all about timing and letting the play roll. Williams got better about this in 2025, but he sometimes will just decide to run or scramble out of the pocket earlier than expected instead of letting the offensive line do their job.
That is a habit that Williams will have to break as he looks to improve from his 58% completion percentage last year. It wasn't all on Williams, though, as the receivers did have a problem with drops that could have helped him get his numbers up.
This will be a good thing for Williams' development, as it will help him adjust his style a bit. He will become a more polished passer and can get more accurate with his throws.
At the same time, Johnson needs to allow some fluidity in the offense with Williams. The Bears' franchise quarterback plays his best when he needs to make a last-second decision and trusts his arm talent to get the ball in the right spot.
Read more: 4 Bears backups who’ll make or break pivotal 2026 season
Chicago will need to find the balance between the two in 2026, but Williams appears to be looking different in 2026 in the best way possible. A different look that might end in him holding the MVP trophy at the end of the season.
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