INDIANAPOLIS — Ryan Poles was more than 10 minutes into his latest state-of-the-team update Tuesday morning when one of the Chicago Bears’ most pressing topics finally came up.
Poles had spoken enthusiastically about his rapidly growing bond with new coach Ben Johnson: “Everything I learned about him through the interview process has played out really well in person.”
Poles had shared his philosophies for free agency, reiterated his determination to improve the offensive and defensive lines and discussed the urgency to add teeth to the pass rush.
Eventually, the first question about quarterback Caleb Williams broke through.
Specifically, what has the Bears general manager learned over the last month about Johnson’s vision for bringing out the best in Williams?
“He wants to start from the foundation and build up from there,” Poles said. “I’ve mentioned before, there are some things in the development of a young quarterback you’ve got to have. And I know (Johnson is) going to hit that first and really help him be the best professional football player he can possibly be.”
Make no mistake, the oversight of Williams’ development is the Bears’ most important priority this offseason.
Sure, it will be easy over the next couple of weeks to become consumed with free agency and how Poles can strike the healthiest balance between aggressiveness and selectivity. Then the lead-up to the April 24-26 NFL draft will become all-consuming as Poles, Johnson and their staffs work together to add talent and depth at as many positions as possible.
But it’s Williams’ growth that means more than anything for the team’s long-term prospects. And it’s apparent Poles and Johnson are driven to oversee that part of the Bears reboot with great care and clear vision.
“We’ve had good conversations about this past season,” Poles said Tuesday at the NFL scouting combine. “But at the end of the day, that’s going to be Ben’s expertise. So I’ll let him do his thing and build the relationship. Build trust and coach him up.”
As it relates to establishing that foundation, Johnson has remained consistent that the spring program at Halas Hall will revolve almost entirely around the basics. For everyone.
“We’re going to break it down to the studs and work to develop it from there,” Johnson said. “So for Caleb, what are the important things about playing the quarterback position at the NFL level? It’s as simple as (mastering) the procedure of the huddle, breaking the huddle. Using cadence, motions, shifts.
“It’s all those things that can help attack a defense that we feel like can take another step. That will be the starting point.”
Add those things to some of the improvement areas the Bears already identified for Williams — from polishing his footwork to better understanding protection plans to mastering his reads — and the to-do list is substantial.
Williams is coming off a dizzying rookie season that has forced him to recalibrate. His numbers in 2024 — 3,541 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, six interceptions, an 87.8 passer rating — were far from dreadful. And the dozens upon dozens of flashes he showed as an elite playmaker stimulate the imagination of everyone inside Halas Hall.
Without question, there is high-level potential waiting to be unlocked. But Williams also went 83 days last season — from Oct. 13 to Jan. 5 — without producing a victory. He was staggered during a 10-game losing streak that saw the Bears fire offensive coordinator Shane Waldron in Week 11 and then launch head coach Matt Eberflus 17 days later.
Stability was replaced by disruption. Williams’ growth was detoured by stress. His consistency faltered.
Now Johnson arrives with a proven record of being one of the NFL’s best play callers, having overseen a Detroit Lions offense that scored 68 touchdowns last season. (The Bears offense scored 33.) Johnson also put his fingerprints all over quarterback Jared Goff’s career rebound, unlocking a three-year run in which Goff threw for 13,642 yards and 96 touchdowns with a 102.7 rating.
As Johnson studies Williams’ rookie season, he sees gifts that make his eyes bulge. Specifically, he has been enamored by Williams’ ability to make plays outside the structure of the offense.
“The off-schedule (plays). The creation,” Johnson said. “That’s what stands out the most. Because that’s really the way this league is going right now. As much as you want to make it pure progression — one to two to three — there is just too much variety. The pass rush is coming down (fast).
“And to have an athlete like Caleb extend the play and potentially find an explosive down the field, that’s what gets me going a little bit. I get excited thinking about that because I haven’t really been around that since I’ve been in the league.”
Perhaps that’s some of what Poles has sensed as Johnson and his offensive staff begin to put their heads together on plans for Williams and a new-look offense.
“These guys are juiced up,” Poles said. “It’s a totally different feel these days.”
Before long, that energy must turn into productivity, specifically as it relates to engineering a 2025 breakthrough for Williams. The roster upgrades the Bears make over the next two months will be key. And many will center around helping Williams.
But it can’t be lost that Williams’ Year 2 climb remains the most important project for the entire operation.
