Caleb Williams' negative perception of Bears was right and that's why they need Ben Johnson to succeed
The Chicago Bears' problem is that nothing Caleb Williams or his father said about them was wrong.
The story that Williams tried to steer his way out of being drafted by the Bears last year isn't new, but there are some new details revealed in an ESPN preview of Seth Wickersham's upcoming book "American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback." Among the details was the Williams family wondering if Caleb could play a season in the United Football League and then enter the NFL as a free agent in 2025. That's desperation to avoid Chicago.
"Chicago is the place quarterbacks go to die," Caleb's father Carl Williams said in the book.
Chicago fans or those who disapprove of player empowerment in general might get mad that Caleb Williams contemplated trying to circumvent the draft. But the truth is, he thought about it because Chicago is where quarterbacks go to die. And nothing about how the Bears handled Williams' rocky rookie season changed that perception either, starting with saddling him with a defensive-minded head coach already on the hot seat.
The Bears needed to hire Ben Johnson to help fix years of quarterback futility. And now they need him to succeed. Badly.
Through the early part of the offseason, there were reports that the Bears might not pay up for a top coaching candidate. There was an abundance of speculation that Johnson, considered either the best candidate on the market or second behind Mike Vrabel, would go to the Las Vegas Raiders. Johnson had great seasons as the Detroit Lions' offensive coordinator and was in high demand.
The Bears stepped up and got the deal done to hire Johnson. Maybe they realized they were in danger of completely alienating an elite prospect who was supposed to finally dig the franchise out of its horrific quarterback history.
In the book preview, the Williams family was skeptical of then-Bears head coach Matt Eberflus and his offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, and their skepticism proved to be correct. In one startling passage, Williams said he would watch film alone without any coaching guidance.
"No one tells me what to watch," Caleb Williams told his dad, via Wickersham's book. "I just turn it on."
Johnson was brought in to change that culture, which has been a reason Bears quarterbacks haven't succeeded for decades. And if you read between the lines on what Johnson told "The Herd" on Thursday, in response to the excerpts from Wickersham's book, it's clear he too needs to distance himself from the Bears' past.
"I don't know what's gone on prior to him joining the organization, but he is very proud to be a Chicago Bear," Johnson told "The Herd" via Jeremy Bergman of NFL.com. "He's really excited to get to work right now and be the best version of himself for 2025."
Chicago truly is where quarterbacks go to die.
The Bears haven't had a first-team All-Pro quarterback since 1950. Since 1963, only two Bears quarterbacks have made the Pro Bowl. Jim McMahon was on the team in 1985 and Mitchell Trubisky made it in 2018 as a replacement. The Bears have famously never had a 4,000-yard season from a quarterback.
It's fairly amazing the Bears have never figured out the modern passing game. Williams' father was right to be wary of sending his son to a franchise that has never developed a star at quarterback, unless you count Sid Luckman about 80 years ago.
Williams had a tough rookie season. Some of his stats were fine but he took a league-leading 68 sacks and often looked overwhelmed. Waldron was fired and Williams had maybe his best stretch with Thomas Brown as the team's interim offensive coordinator. In typical Bears fashion, they screwed up that momentum by promoting Brown to interim head coach when they fired Eberflus.
The Bears have done plenty this offseason to help Williams. Johnson was hired and he is considered one of the best offensive minds in the NFL. The Bears got three new starters for the interior of their offensive line. They drafted tight end Colston Loveland in the first round and receiver Luther Burden III in the second round. With all the moves the Bears have made to build up around Williams, he should succeed. There's a lot of pressure for Johnson and the team to get it right.
But this is the Bears. There is an entire Super Bowl era's worth of history working against Johnson and Williams. If the Bears can't get it right with Williams, the next quarterback prospect they eye in the draft might actually follow through on what Williams contemplated.
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