The Chicago Bears and Caleb Williams have won the Ben Johnson sweepstakes. ESPN’s Adam Schefter announced Johnson was offered and has accepted the job in the Windy City. By becoming the Bears coach, the man with the brilliant offensive mind gets to coach Williams, the first pick of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Ben Johnson Thinks Caleb Williams Can Be Special
The Las Vegas Raiders were also chasing Johnson, but the opportunity to coach Williams was too good for the play-calling genius to pass up.
During the season, the Detroit Lions played the Chicago Bears twice, as they are both in the same division. Johnson spoke glowingly of the Bears’ signal-caller at a pregame press conference posted on social media.
“It’s been difficult to sit down and study every throw. There’s no question this guy is talented,” Johnson said. “I remember standing on the sideline last game and just hearing the ball whistle.
“He’s got quite a fast ball and has some creativity to him,” Johnson said. “He can extend plays and he’s accurate down the field. He’s been impressive so far.”
Ben Johnson couldn’t hold back his smile talking about Caleb Williams. 👀
He knows Caleb is special. This pairing needs to happen. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/JMvtuv0J2L
— Bearsszn (@bearssznn) December 20, 2024
There is no way Johnson could have known he would be the next in line to coach Williams, but you can tell by the look on his face and the words he used that he really likes Williams and is looking forward to starting working with him.
Johnson led a Lions offense that scored 33.2 points per game to lead the NFL this past regular season. The Lions’ season came to an abrupt end after a Divisional Round loss to the Washington Commanders at Ford Field.
“Caleb Williams has weighed in on his new coach…” Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network said in a posting on X, formerly known as Twitter, which was accompanied by a screenshot of Williams liking the NFL’s post on Instagram.
Caleb Williams has weighed in on his new coach … pic.twitter.com/TWLO8O4sww
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 20, 2025
Johnson will be charged with the daunting task of turning Chicago’s mediocre offense around. It starts with getting the most out of Williams after his frustrating yet promising rookie season.
Williams is clearly excited by the move. It is now incumbent on him and Johnson to get on the same page and turn the franchise around.
Williams had a decent rookie season, but he was sacked 68 times. Johnson will have to bring someone in to fix the offensive line and pass protection.
Williams had decent statistics as a rookie. He threw for 3,541 yards and 20 touchdowns. He won the Heisman Trophy at the University of Southern California and is capable of doing good things with proper coaching.
