Caleb Williams got the Bears’ attention — and everyone else’s — as a college star largely because he was indomitable in the pocket. It seemed as though no play was ever over as he wheeled around the backfield searching for open receivers.
He put up monster numbers playing that way, and it’s a strength that the Bears shouldn’t coach out of him, but coach Ben Johnson must help him refine it and tailor it to the NFL.
It worked for Williams at USC partly because of the talent advantage he and his team had over most opponents, and that gap is far narrowed in the pros. Even the strongest offensive lines are limited in how long they can hold off pass rushers, and defensive backs close throwing windows in a heartbeat at this level.
Williams learned that lesson the hard way as a rookie last season when he was sacked a league-high 68 times, the third-most ever. That included four games of seven or more, and only three other quarterbacks had multiple games taking seven sacks.
The Bears certainly had offensive line problems last season, but Williams holding the ball too long was part of the equation as well.
The CEO of Sack Nation has clocked in 🫡 pic.twitter.com/1WcWTypk5x
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) August 23, 2025
“Some of it is just timing, some of it is trusting the guys, some of it is also having my feet and eyes in the same place,” Williams said of the adjustment to his approach in the pocket.
He was hung up on a couple instances of being undisciplined in the pocket during the preseason game Friday against the Chiefs, as was Johnson. He had seen progress in that area from Williams leading up to the game, but Friday night “wasn’t quite the same” and looked like reversion.
Williams regretted missing an open Rome Odunze because “my feet were too fast and I was trying to get through all my reads.” That’s an issue of fundamentals and it takes time to retrain his brain.
He can’t go too fast or too slow. Elite quarterbacks, as the Bears saw on the other side Friday in Patrick Mahomes, have near-perfect timing. With a rebuilt offensive line and fortified group of skill players, there should be enough time for Williams to cycle through progressions without speeding through them.
His most troubling play against the Chiefs was on second-and-three approaching midfield. The offensive line gave Williams a decent pocket as center Drew Dalman kept All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones contained, but Williams held the ball for five seconds — “Sounds like good protection,” Johnson said — and Jones got free and sacked him.
That put the Bears at third-and-eight at their own 39. For context, their conversion rate last season plunged from 52.9% on third-and-three to 21.1% on anything eight yards or longer. Too many third-and-longs will spoil a game.
Williams is certain he’s grown as a quarterback since last year, even though the progress he points to is in “small things that probably you guys can’t see or tell or know.” He said he is recognizing defensive schemes fast, grasping his own offense better and feeling more comfortable behind an upgraded offensive line.
Those improvements are subtle and important, but they need to transfer to the games for them to matter.
Williams put a qualifier on his performance Friday by saying it was only preseason, and things will change once the Bears are in a game week and honing a streamlined game plan specific to the opponent. That process likely was already underway Monday in practice as they prepare to host the Vikings on Sept. 8 in the season opener.
When the lights come on and the games count, Williams has to show he’s a better player than he was as a rookie. It could take half the season to fully click in Johnson’s offense, but there should be signs of progress from the start, and better pocket awareness is crucial.
