Here's everything new Chicago Bears' head coach Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams said about each other during the 2024 NFL season
The Ben Johnson pairing with Caleb Williams always seemed like a dream too good to be true, but that dream is about to become a reality.The former Detroit Lions' offensive coordinator is on the way to Chicago and is expected to sign the official papers making him the Bears' next head coach.Once that's done, Johnson […]
The Ben Johnson pairing with Caleb Williams always seemed like a dream too good to be true, but that dream is about to become a reality.
The former Detroit Lions' offensive coordinator is on the way to Chicago and is expected to sign the official papers making him the Bears' next head coach.
Once that's done, Johnson will officially become Williams' new head coach, a pairing that the two have been thinking about as a possibility for months now.
Last offseason, Johnson was reportedly interested in coaching the Bears and the idea of having Williams as his quarterback. The Bears ultimately decided to retain then head coach Matt Eberflus for the 2024 season.
Eberflus was later fired in Week 13 following the Bears loss on Thanksgiving to the Detroit Lions. That game was the first NFL game Johnson was able to set his eyes on his new franchise quarterback in person.
In the loss, Williams threw for 256 yards and three touchdowns, including two in the fourth quarter to cut the Lions' lead to just three points. On the final drive, Williams looked as confident as ever, leading his team down to the Lions' 41-yard line, only to have time expire due to a terrible coaching error.
Even though the loss stung for the Bears and led to massive changes in Chicago, Johnson liked what he saw from the young quarterback on that night.
“It’s been difficult to just sit down and study every throw, but there’s no question that this guy is talented," Johnson said about Williams. "I remember standing on the sideline last game and you can hear the ball whistle by you. He’s got quite a fastball, has some creativity to him, can extend plays and is accurate down the field, as well. Like I said, I haven’t really dove in and can't tell you much more beyond that, but he’s been impressive from afar.”
It only took three weeks for Johnson to see Williams operate on the field once again. In Week 16, Williams threw for 334 yards and another pair of touchdowns against the Lions' top-ranked defense during a 34-17 loss.
Following those two encounters, Williams started paying more attention to what Johnson's creative offensive-mind was doing with the Lions' offense and came away equally impressed. Williams continued to watch the Johnson-led unit as they wrapped up the NFC's top seed in Week 18 against the Minnesota Vikings and into the playoffs.
"It’s been really cool to watch," Williams said about Johnson's offense. "During our game I would watch and try to learn something. It was fascinating to watch because he had wrinkles for counters and things like that throughout the game. He’s obviously done really well. It will be cool to see how all of that goes down.”
Now the two are going to be working closely side by side with each other for years to come. Williams noted he ideally wants his next head coach to grow with him over the next 19+ years and the 38-year old will be able to do that. He also made it known he wanted a coach who would challenge him, and here's what Johnson's previous quarterback Jared Goff had to say about Johnson's coaching style.
"He's not afraid to coach me and coach me hard and that's what I crave," Goff said in September. "I love being coached hard and I love getting feedback. He wants me to be great as much as I want to be great and it's fun to play for a guy like that."
If this feels like a match made in heaven, that's because it is. And it certainly feels like the Bears finally got it right at quarterback and head coach for the first time ever.
Ben Johnson might already be getting a head start toward putting together his first coaching staff with the Chicago Bears
This would be another slam dunk hire.
