As Bears quarterback Caleb Williams’ status skyrockets amid the expectation that he’s on the brink of joining the NFL’s elite passers, it’s not surprising that some in the league already would be irritated by hearing about it.
That comes with the territory when a player is crowned before they’ve actually arrived.
Most notably for Williams, he’s on the cover of the forthcoming Madden 27 video game, which made him one of the faces of the league at a time when he’s still seeking to hit his stride. That Madden distinction recently went to players who already had become All-Pros, MVPs and champions like Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and Saquon Barkley.
The reality is that Williams isn’t in that class yet and is very much a work in progress, something he and coach Ben Johnson have been saying for months. He led some incredible comebacks and delivered some incomparable throws; He also finished last in completion percentage and 22nd in passer rating.
Even in the Madden world, it’s obvious popularity outweighed production, which is fine when the goal is to sell a videogame, as Williams’ individual rating ranked ninth at his position.
That became somewhat of a talking point 1,000 miles away at Jaguars training camp, where coach Liam Coen highlighted the contrast between how ubiquitous Williams is even on the league’s own website and how anonymous his team is.
“This is the best part of coaching the Jacksonville Jaguars: You don’t have to make up [stuff to tell your players],” Coen said on radio station 1010 XL. “You don’t have to make up the fire. It’s given to us every day. It’s a gift from the heavens.
“I just pull out my phone… and I’m just curious if I see any photos or anything about the Jacksonville Jaguars. I’ll see 40 pictures of Caleb Williams and I won’t see a single thing about any of our players on here. It’s beautiful … I’m just going to tell all these guys how much you all think they suck, and we’ll just keep going.”
Coen certainly was correct about the Jaguars being out of the spotlight despite going 13-4 and winning the AFC South last season, but dropping Williams’ name was gratuitous. Even if it was intended playfully, it’s very unusual for a coach to talk about a player on another team that way.
“All I’ll see is 40 pictures of Caleb Williams… and not a single thing about any of our players.” 😂
Liam Coen had a hilarious way of describing why he loves coaching the Jaguars on The Drill with Dan Hicken and Jeff Prosser.
🎥 WATCH NOW: https://t.co/E5etiiSE3n#DUUUVAL |… pic.twitter.com/idQZCvDMkK
— 1010 XL / 92.5 FM (@1010XL) July 30, 2026
Perhaps Coen has a grudge against the Bears for bypassing him for offensive coordinator going into Williams’ rookie season, or maybe he didn’t like that Williams is No. 51 on the NFL Top 100, which is voted on by players, and Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence landed 11 spots behind him.
Williams, who revels in being ripped, reposted the widely viewed view clip of Coen’s comments on his X account. He tends to be very away of what is said about him.
Predictably, Johnson wasn’t in much of a mood to talk about it before practice Friday, but also wasn’t about to be out-under-dogged by Coen.
“Well, we’re the No. 1 regression candidate,” Johnson said. “So we’ve got plenty of motivation ourselves.”
All of it is nonsense as coaches search for a spark with the season still far in the distance. Once the games start, including when the Bears host the Jaguars in Week 13, nobody will overlook either team. Both, by the way, are in the middle of the pack in Super Bowl odds, with the Bears slightly ahead.
There’s no actual statistic for “regression candidates,” but it’d be a stretch for Johnson to cast his team as unloved. There’s skepticism, sure, after an 11-6 season built on improbable late escapes as the Bears now face the NFL’s hardest schedule, but they absolutely have a target on their backs.
As for Williams getting sideswiped, Johnson wasn’t concerned. It didn’t rise to the level of requiring a response.
“He’s used to handling a lot of attention, so I’m not worried about that,” he said.
Williams better be ready, because there’s a lot more coming.
Defenders will be eager to topple him. Sacks and interceptions against Williams will be celebrated just a little extra, and there’s no telling what he’ll hear on the field. Expect his name to come up a lot, especially after losses. It won’t be playful then.
This isn’t much different than when Williams went into the 2024 draft as the runaway choice to be the No. 1 pick or what he weathered at USC as the most visible player in the country. The hype propelled him to the forefront, then made him a punching bag.
He says he has thick skin, telling the Sun-Times last season that his relentless detractors were “something to joke about,” and so far that seems to be true. He endured harsher criticism from Johnson than anyone outside Halas Hall and persevered through a rough start to the season.
As hard as Johnson has been on Williams, he’s been consistent in his belief that the quarterback isn’t distracted by noise, as opposed to when former quarterback Mitch Trubisky said he wanted to turn off the TVs in the facility a few years ago.
Williams and Johnson both say they’re wired differently than others — more focused, for one — and this will be a season of proving it.
