The Chicago Bears have a first-year head coach in Ben Johnson and second-year quarterback in Caleb Williams who are just 13 games into their initial season together, which means there is plenty yet to work out.
Chicago is 9-4 and lost a competitive contest at Lambeau Field against the Green Bay Packers in Week 14 to slip a half-game out of first place in the NFC North Division. And while things remain choppy to a degree between the coach, his quarterback and members of the skill-position group — namely top wide receiver DJ Moore — Johnson and Williams are working toward a longterm compromise.
Johnson was the offensive coordinator of a perennial top-five offense with the Detroit Lions over the past three seasons. Williams is a former Heisman Trophy winner who is among the best signal-callers in the NFL working out of structure, which is something Johnson would prefer he does less of moving forward — but not that much less.
On Monday, December 8, Johnson spoke to reporters and revealed a common six-word message that Williams relays to him on a regular basis as they continue to merge styles and find a perfect medium that could potentially lead Chicago to the promised land for the first time since the franchise’s sole Super Bowl-winning team of 1985-86.
“Ben Johnson on the feedback he gets from Caleb on getting in a better rhythm early in the game: ‘You call it, I’ll make it work,’” CHGO Bears reported on X.
Ben Johnson Attempting to Merge Caleb Williams’ Skill Set With His Offensive Tenets Amid Successful First Year
GettyChicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson.
The sentiment is reassuring given the scrutiny with which NFL analysts have examined the relationship between coach and quarterback through 13 games this season.
Johnson spoke on Monday about the push and pull between he and Williams, and acknowledged both the frustrations and the jaw-dropping elements of his quarterback’s play that have defined their first year together.
“There’s certainly some [plays] that you talk about each week where I feel like guys are open and we can certainly give them the ball on time and give them a chance to run after catch and all that,” Johnson said. “And then there’s there’s that mix of, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s one of the most incredible plays I’ve ever seen in my life’ type of deal with him.”
“I do acknowledge that’s something we’re striving to do, is combine both of those worlds to where we think we’re going to have a really good quarterback in this league, really dangerous quarterback in this league, really dangerous offense, really good team for a long time when we’re really able to combine both of those thought processes,” Johnson added. “We’re not quite there yet.”
Bears Offense on Cusp of Elite Status in NFL
GettyChicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams.
Williams has not been the type of consistent quarterback Johnson is looking for in his second season.
Williams’ completion rate is a mere 57.8 percent, which is down nearly five points from his rookie campaign. He has thrown for 2,908 yards, 19 TDs and six INTs across 13 games. Williams finished last season with 20 scores and six interceptions in 17 outings.
That said, Williams’ sacks are down significantly, from 68 in 2024 to just 20 this year. He has made plays out of structure that few QBs in the NFL are capable of making, and his completion percentage has been impacted by more drops from pass-catchers than most offenses have dealt with in 2025.
The offensive line has improved considerably year over year, which is part of the equation. But analysts like Ben Solak and Mina Kimes of ESPN have noted that Chicago’s offense is “close” to being spectacular, and the consistency required to achieve that goal should come with more development by Williams within Johnson’s offense.
The Bears are 9-4 and just a half-game out of the NFC North Division lead with four weeks to play. The team has a good chance to win the division title and/or make the playoffs this season, and circumstances should only improve in the weeks and years to come, as Johnson and Williams are still figuring each other out but are also clearly on the same page.
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