A lot has changed since Ben Johnson became the head coach of the Chicago Bears, including star quarterback Caleb Williams’ mindset.
Williams, who improved in his first year under Johnson, throwing for 3,942 yards and 27 touchdowns, is on track for an even bigger season in Year 3.
“It’s a hell of a lot more fun for me than it was last year,” Williams said. “I was saying it to Coach Studes, ‘Dude, I feel like I was drowning, trying to breathe or stay alive and wait for a boat to come around last year.’ Now this year, it’s being able to start what we finished last year, play calls and words and verbiage and speak the same language, and now it’s being able to grow more from an earlier stage than maybe doing it a little bit earlier in the season or halfway through the season, speaking on things that really helps throughout the year, and later in the year. That’s the advantage.”
And according to Johnson, Williams’ attitude has also shifted.
Ben Johnson Sends Message on Caleb Williams ‘Attitude Change’
Speaking to the media on September 1st, Ben Johnson commented on Caleb Williams’ attitude shifting from ‘goofy to serious,’ saying, “This guy might have had a little bit of goofy to him a year ago, and I use that term with love, and now you just see a more serious player and intent every time I’m around him. And I think his teammates feel that as well.”
Johnson’s “goofy to serious” comment is a notably candid bit of quarterback evaluation for a head coach to offer publicly, and something that no coach may have ever said regarding his quarterback in the past.
The context makes it more interesting: Williams has said their relationship initially felt “fragile” and that it seemed like Johnson didn’t like him, so Johnson volunteering warm praise, adding ‘I say that with love,’ now reads as much like a signal that the coach-player relationship is anything but fragile as it is a statement about Williams’ maturation.
“He’s getting to the practice field early,” Johnson added. “He’s making sure his part is taken care of. He’s warmed up. He’s ready to go. He’s staying after with the guys after practice. …And so he’s taken a lot of pride in his approach right now.”
Williams Lands in ESPN’s Top 100 Predicted Players of the 2026 NFL Season
There’s a level of confidence from Chicago that hasn’t been felt in a very, very long time about the starting quarterback for the Bears, but how does the league view Caleb Williams?
According to a recent article by ESPN predicting who’ll be the top 100 players of the 2026 season, Williams lands at No. 62.
“Williams’ first season in Ben Johnson’s offense helped Chicago win its first playoff game in 15 years and generate the second-most explosive plays (127) in the NFL,” ESPN’s Courtney Cronin wrote. “Year 2 with Johnson is set up to be even better. ‘[Williams] has taken complete control of what we’re trying to do, and so we’re on the right track,’ Johnson said.”
Something that won’t sit right with Bears fans — Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels ranked one spot ahead of Williams at 61.
Regardless of offseason rankings, the stage is set for Williams to continue to prove the doubters wrong.
Bears HC Ben Johnson Sends Message on Caleb Williams ‘Attitude Change’