Caleb Williams is eager to start closing the gap to Ben Johnson’s high bar as the Bears QB embraces lofty expectations
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams took significant steps forward in the first season under head coach Ben Johnson but more will be expected out of the young quarterback going into the 2026 season.
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams took significant steps forward during the 2026 season under the guidance of head coach Ben Johnson leading the team to an 11-win season that ended in the NFC’s Divisional Round.
As good of a season as it was, more will be expected out of the young quarterback going into his third NFL season, and it’ll be a pivotal year. After this upcoming season, Williams will be eligible for his first extension with Chicago, a deal the front office is already planning for.
In order to be paid among the top quarterbacks in the game, Williams has to play like it first and there’s still a glaring bar he needs to reach.
Ben Johnson wants to see a higher completion percentage out of Caleb Williams, and he’s embracing the challenge
“If we want to be elite, we want to be that 70 [completion percentage] marker,” Johnson said of how Williams can improve in 2026. “We fell short of that. And we don’t shy away from that. I think when you look at it, for us to get to 65 percent completion even, cut that in half, we need to find 40 more completions over the course of the season.”
Johnson set a high bar for Williams with that number. While no quarterbacks technically reached that “elite” mark, Williams’ 57.3 completion percentage during the regular season and playoffs ranked dead last among QBs with 300+ attempts.
It’s great to see Johnson not shy away from that being the goal in Year 2 under this offensive scheme. It’s even better to see Williams embrace that challenge.
“It all starts with more reps,” Williams told reporters on Monday. “The next part of it comes with comfort in the offense. I think towards the end of the year that started to grow for me. Those two things are really big in that standpoint.
And then, the last point is the details. Whether it’s the receivers’ depth and his steps and where his landmark is. And then from there, it’s me knowing all of those also and being able to deliver a catchable ball. Whether that’s velocity or where I place the ball to be able to allow them to catch it, but also have more from it.”
Completion percentage is impacted by many different factors
When it comes to improving Williams’ completion percentage in 2026, there’s a ton that goes into it. You have to factor in drops, pure incomplete/inaccurate throws, and throwaways. Here’s where Williams ranked in those categories among QBs with 300+ attempts last season.
- Drops: 34 (third-most in the NFL)
- On-Target Percentage: 66.6 percent (26th)
- Throwaways: 44 (most in the NFL)
It’s not just all on Williams either, the pass catchers played a role as well with the Bears having the eighth-most drops in the league last season. As for the areas Williams can control, he’s striving to improve in any way possible.
“Ben and I just looked at a couple of scramble plays throughout this past year of just right spot, right time, just miss,” Williams explained. “I think some of that comes with confidence. Some of that comes with comfort. Some of it comes with the reps. The other half is just getting on the same page and delivering a catchable ball.”
Williams has already spent plenty of time this offseason in the lab with his returning pass catchers working on the chemistry, something that will only continue in practice.
“I think the explosiveness is going to go up, the completion will go up, with all of those things combined” Williams added.