After the mistakes of the previous regime, Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson knew he had his work cut out for him when it came to developing quarterback Caleb Williams.
He had to break many bad habits and make several changes. Many complaints were that Williams held on to the ball for too long and was trying to make too many backyard plays when simply throwing the ball away or getting the ball out quicker would have been better. In 2024, Williams would end up taking sacks (with 68 to be exact) or turning the ball over (six interceptions and 10 fumbles).
That was his rookie season, so it was all a wash. A new season began, and Johnson had a plan for Williams. Set a goal of completing 70% of his passes, getting the ball out quicker, coaching him harder, and improving his body language in the games.
One other aspect of Williams' game that Johnson needed to change, which might have been a bit more challenging than some might have thought, was getting Williams comfortable playing under center. Something Williams seems to have bought into.
The data in 2025 shows Williams is thriving under center
Williams has always been a shotgun type of quarterback. He ran it under Lincoln Riley at Oklahoma and USC and won a Heisman Trophy using that formation. Former Bears head coach Matt Eberflus and his coaching staff last year kept things simple for Williams, using a lot of shotgun formations.
Johnson, this season, though, wanted to push Williams to elevate his game. He added more plays under center for Williams, and it has paid off in a big way, as evidenced by the stats provided by CHSN.
Shotgun Numbers | Statistical Category (Through Three Games in 2025) | Under Center Numbers |
|---|---|---|
49 | Pass Attempts | 44 |
332 | Passing Yards | 383 |
1 | Passing Touchdowns | 6 |
1 | Interceptions | 0 |
79.6 | QB Rating | 132.9 |
This is simply proof that Williams didn't need to be coddled because he was comfortable with one thing. He needed to be pushed, and Johnson gave him that push. Because of it, Williams is discovering that he's playing better under center.
What makes this work is one, play action works better under center, so that has contributued to it. Also, Williams is more likely to get rid of the ball quickly if under center than tempted to run around with the ball in shotgun with too much time in the pocket.
Read more: Caleb Williams' climb to the top of QB rankings takes an unexpected turn
It's a strategy the Bears shouldn't lose sight of and continue to run out of under center. In fact, they might need to make an adjustment and have Williams do more under center.