The quarterback-head coach dynamic for the Chicago Bears is going to be the catalyst for how far this team can go in 2026 and beyond.

The Bears have tied QB Caleb Williams to the hip pocket of head coach Ben Johnson, and the two share goals for what results can come of this partnership years down the line. It starts with Williams and goes as far as he can take it. But, Johnson is the anchor of it all.

Their partnership is lead and follow, with a lot of trust needed between the two to come together splendidly. Williams described it best.

“I’d say mentor and jazz duo,” Williams said on “Hot Ones” via First We Feast on YouTube. “There’s parts of it where – at least my coach in my situation – he’s super tough and he’s on the mentor aspect of it. He’s coaching me hard and I have respect for that and love him for that because that’s how I want (to be coached). I want to reach some of my goals and you need someone like that around you to show you want you don’t know. The jazz part is typically on Sunday’s. You get out on the field and it becomes poetic, it becomes a good ole jazz night.”

A rocky beginning paved the way for change for Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears

After being drafted first overall by the Chicago Bears, the entire city and organization had massive expectations for Williams. He wasn’t the most polished quarterback coming out of college, but the Bears wanted to throw him into the fire immediately.

Williams was a Week 1 starter back in 2024, playing all 17 games as a rookie in an environment that was not suited for a young quarterback. That’s putting it lightly. The situation was discombobulated, inefficient, and not productive. It was far from healthy for a quarterback trying to carry the entire organization and the entire city on his back.

The Bears quickly realized the hardships they were putting their young quarterback through and made the correct adjustments, starting with firing offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and then firing head coach Matt Eberflus.

Then entered Ben Johnson.

As soon as Johnson arrived, he made it clear: the Bears are Caleb Williams. They go as far as he takes them, and it falls on everyone else to get the most out of him and create a situation where he can thrive. In turn, Chicago can thrive and get back to reaching its goals of being a championship-caliber team. Hiring Johnson was the big move general manager Ryan Poles made, planting the seeds for this relationship to grow.

Building trust through an uncomfortable process

Growing wasn’t easy. There were bumps in the road during Williams’ first season under Johnson. He talked about how he didn’t feel like Johnson particularly liked him throughout their first training camp together and early in the 2025 season. It took time for Williams to understand the feelings his head coach had toward him.

By the end of it, the results spoke for themselves. Williams had big games late in the season, playoff wins, and most importantly, the passion came back in his game. He was having fun again on the football field. The Bears were winning football games and reaching those heights this organization knew they could reach again.

“I think you see that joy back in his game where he’s playing free,” Poles said about the growth in Williams. “I think he sees and identifies where he comes up short faster than what he did before, and I think that’s where him and Ben (Johnson) are continuing to work really well together, trying to get better every single day.”

Year 2 growth has been the story of training camp

Going into Year 2, Johnson has highlighted that the team is right back to square one. He’s made that known across the entire building. However, the growth Williams has shown has been the biggest takeaway heading into the regular season. Johnson has seen mental, physical, and emotional growth from his quarterback as a leader, along with an acceptance of his place on this team and within this offense.

“I’ve seen a very composed person every time he steps into the building,” Johnson said before practice Tuesday. “This guy might’ve had a little bit of goofy to him a year ago, and I use that term with love. Now, I see a more serious player and intent every time I’m around him. His teammates feel that as well.”

The on-field difference has been completely noticeable as well. It goes beyond completion percentage or the measurables Chicago wanted to see improve during the offseason. It’s the immeasurable stuff that has impressed Johnson the most throughout the last few weeks of camp and the way Williams has carried himself.

“He’s getting to the practice field early. He’s making sure his part is taken care of, he’s warmed up, he’s ready to go,” Johnson added. “He stays after with the guys. He’s taking a lot of pride in his approach right now, and it trickles down to everyone around him. It’s a great thing. He continues to grow up, and he’s going to be a huge leader for us this year.”

Now comes Act 2 of this dance between Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson

With the Bears set to take on the Carolina Panthers to open the regular season in 10 days, the culmination of what Chicago expects to see out of Williams in Year 3 is a more polished quarterback and a leader on the football field. He’s shown he can take that step.

“When we step on the grass, you can see that he’s locked in,” Johnson explained. “He’s got his blinders on, and he’s only concerned about doing his job at a high level. There were some times where, maybe a year ago, [he’d] get sidetracked or distracted a little bit. This year, that has not been the case. He’s serious about his approach, his job and making sure he’s taking his game to the next level.”

It’s not just the approach when things go right, but also when things go wrong, and they inevitably will this season. When Johnson first arrived in Chicago, how Williams responded to adversity was something he wanted to see improve. Teammates notice body language after interceptions and bad plays.

That part of Williams’ game has improved. He now understands that he is the centerpiece of this team, the heartbeat of how this entire team ticks on game days, and that when things go wrong, he has to have a certain reaction for the rest of the team to follow.

“He’s getting to the point now that when things aren’t right, he gets [ticked] off, which is what the best ones do,” Johnson said. “He’s really hard on himself, first and foremost. But now it’s to the point where if we’re that close and somebody [messes up], he’s not afraid to let them know. He’s earned that right with how he has played over the last year and a half.”

What this can ultimately lead to, not just in 2026, but for years to come

It’s still going to be a work in progress this season. The Bears have a ways to go with this relationship. Remember, it’s only Year 2 of many more to come.

Could Chicago get to the mountain top in 2026? It’s certainly possible. The Bears have a shot to contend in the NFC and make a push after the strong season they had last year. They have the strong foundation and talent throughout.

But this isn’t just a one-year thing. The Bears are taking this one step at a time with Williams and Johnson, and by the end of it, years down the line, Chicago is expecting to see something special from the relationship these two continue to build.

“I know we have a real common goal and it’s to find a way to make the Chicago Bears champions,” Williams said. “So, everything he says to me, I’ll do it at 200% and won’t look back. That’s kind of how it is now. If he yells and curses at me or anything like that, I know it’s for the greater good of the team.”

It’s the dynamic this organization has yearned for and the one that can help the Chicago Bears return to the top of the mountain again, sooner rather than later.