Quarterback Caleb Williams was driving on the highway when he received the call from Chicago Bears leaders with the news Monday. Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson was set to become his new head coach.
Williams thanked the Bears, and when he hung up, he let out his emotion.
“I don’t know if it was safe or not, but I gave out a loud yell and scream of just excitement,” Williams said. “It just brings a bunch of clarity to the offseason.”
After a bumpy rookie season in which Williams had two head coaches, two play callers and three offensive coordinators, the Bears put in place a coach they believe can help the quarterback grow into his NFL potential for years to come in Chicago.
Two days later, Williams sat in the front row of Johnson’s introductory news conference Wednesday at Halas Hall, along with wide receivers DJ Moore and Rome Odunze and tight end Cole Kmet. They listened as Johnson delivered a message about what’s ahead for the Bears players.
“Get comfortable being uncomfortable,” Johnson told them. “The bar has been set higher than it’s ever been set before. The only way for this team, and for you as individual players, to reach your potential is to be pushed and to be challenged, and that’s exactly what I and my staff plan on doing.
“We’re going to push. We’re going to challenge. And along with those high standards, there’s also going to be a high level of support as well. Everybody in this building is going to be all about helping you guys out. How do you become the best versions of yourselves?”
When general manager Ryan Poles introduced Johnson to Chicago on Wednesday, he lauded the 13-year NFL assistant coach for “his passion, his leadership, his football IQ and his vision for winning football.”
The Bears hope that within those qualities lies the formula for unlocking the best version of Williams. That includes Johnson using his creativity and vision to craft an offense tailored to Williams, and it includes the coach knowing how to demand accountability and use discipline in his leadership.
Williams said at the end of the 2024 season that he wanted the Bears to hire a coach who would challenge him. Two days into his tenure, Johnson already had spoken with Williams about his no-nonsense approach to coaching and how he plans to support him while also holding him accountable.
“(Williams) is going to be challenged to be a professional football player, to do the little things the right way,” Poles said. “That foundation, I know Ben is going to hit that early and often, get that foundation strong, because you’re going to build everything off of there. … Now we can continue to get better and play more consistently.”
After leading a top-five offense in Detroit during his three seasons as coordinator, Johnson was one of the top candidates of this NFL hiring cycle and had other interested suitors, including the Las Vegas Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars.
But Chairman George McCaskey said Johnson opened and ended his videoconference interview with the Bears by telling them, “I want this job.”
Johnson’s conviction that the job was for him came from his admiration for the city of Chicago, his belief that the roster already is “stocked” with talent, his confidence in working with Poles and — a large component — his belief in Williams.
“Having a quarterback helps,” Johnson said with a smile.
Johnson lauded Williams’ ability to fit the ball into tight windows, his fearlessness and his confidence throwing inside and outside of the numbers as special traits.
He said the Bears already are working on an action plan to identify some of Williams’ weaknesses and work to improve them, and he already spoke with Williams about things within his game he wants to address. Johnson said he expects to spend a lot of time with Williams this spring with the goal that the quarterback can see the game through his eyes as the play caller.
“He is a phenomenal talent that had — as many quarterbacks do — an up and down rookie year,” Johnson said. “Where I see my role is as a supporter of him. This offense will be calibrated with him in mind. We’re going to build this thing. This is not simply a dropping of a previous playbook down on the table and starting there. Nope, we’re ripping this thing down to the studs, and we’re going to build it out with him first and foremost and then with the pieces around him next.”
That professed willingness to adapt what he did in Detroit to the Bears personnel is another thing that excites Williams, who said it reminded him of what USC coach Lincoln Riley did for him in his college offense.
It also drew Poles to Johnson.
“I would have been concerned if he said that ‘This is a cookie-cutter thing. I’ll bring Detroit’s playbook here and just drop it,’” Poles said. “He probably wouldn’t be here if he said that. But he understands that he’s got to shift and change and adapt to the talent that he has. And that awareness is really encouraging.”
Even before Johnson was hired, Williams said he admired Johnson’s creativity in Detroit from afar. On Wednesday, Williams linked that creativity with the leadership he expects Johnson to bring to the Bears.
“What he’s been able to do over there with Detroit in that offense, you don’t see an offense doing things that they were doing without somebody like Ben at the helm of it,” Williams said. “Just because there’s so much time and so much effort and so much energy and passion that goes into it. … Without the discipline and accountability, you don’t get to do all those cool things.”
Williams’ first interaction with Johnson this week started cautiously.
Earlier this month, Williams was pranked by a group of kids who texted his number pretending to be Johnson and declaring that they were taking the Bears job. Williams was duped into doing a FaceTime call with them, which was then posted to social media.
On Monday upon the deal being done, Bears chief administrative officer Ted Crews sent Johnson’s number to Williams so he knew it was the right one. Johnson also called Williams on FaceTime, sending a photo of his face to give the quarterback confirmation it was him.
Soon enough, Williams was connecting with his new coach and identifying Johnson’s drive to be great.
“You can see the competitiveness in his eyes,” Williams said. “The fire in his eyes. It was really cool seeing that.”
