Ben Johnson made it clear he sees growth in Caleb Williams, but not everyone around the league is buying that optimism.
The Bears coach pushed back after Jacksonville Jaguars coach Liam Coen took a playful shot at Williams last week, saying he could go to the NFL’s website and find "40 pictures" of the quarterback before seeing anything about Jacksonville. Johnson responded by emphasizing the progress Williams has made since Chicago drafted him No. 1 in 2024.
Former New York Jets scout Daniel Kelly, though, offered a much darker read on Williams’ direction in 2025. On Thursday, Kelly tweeted that the Bears quarterback is slipping after his rookie year.
"The reason why the Bears are the No. 1 regression candidate is that they have a starting quarterback (Caleb Williams) who is on a clear path of regression. Williams is becoming less and less accurate, and his throwing process is slowing down more and more," Kelly tweeted.
Williams’ numbers from his first two seasons give the debate some fuel. As a rookie, he threw for 3,541 yards with a 62.5% completion rate, along with 20 touchdowns and six interceptions while Chicago went 5-12.
Last season, he finished with 3,942 passing yards, 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions, completing 58.1 percent of his throws. He also added 388 rushing yards and three scores as the Bears won the NFC North.
Chicago will go through three preseason games before the 2026 regular season starts. The slate opens Saturday, Aug. 15, against the Cleveland Browns at 1 p.m.
ET, then moves to Cincinnati on Saturday, Aug. 22, for a 7 p.m. ET kickoff against the Bengals.
The Bears finish preseason play on Saturday, Aug. 29, at Tennessee against the Titans at 6 p.m. ET.
Williams already has one playoff win on his résumé. The Bears beat the Green Bay Packers 31-27 in a Wild Card Round thriller before falling 20-17 in overtime to the LA Rams in the divisional round.
If Chicago is going to make another postseason run, Williams will be right at the center of it.
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