Ben Johnson’s withering assessment puts spotlight on Caleb Williams as Chicago Bears look to end 20-year drought

Dec 3, 2025 - 07:15

It’s December and the Chicago Bears are 9-3 and currently hold the one seed in the NFC.

In Ben Johnson’s first year at the helm, he has done wonders in the Windy City and for Caleb Williams, yet if you listen to him, it is clear he is nowhere near satisfied.

Ben Johnson # of the Chicago Bears stands on the sidelines prior to an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers — Johnson has completely transformed the franchise in Year 1

In fact, he isn’t afraid to call out his second-year franchise quarterback despite their record and position atop the NFC.

Johnson was asked about Williams’ accuracy, currently at 58.1 percent through 12 games, and whether it is a concern this late in the season.

Against the Philadelphia Eagles last week, Williams’ completion rate fell below 50 percent for the first time this year, completing just 17 of 36 passes for 154 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.

“It’s an area that we are certainly talking about, there’s no question,” Johnson said in his weekly press conference.

“I will say in regards to Friday, that was one of the more challenging games in terms of the wind. I called an outbreaker to DJ [Moore] early in that game, and DJ ran a phenomenal route, and yet when the ball’s in the air that long, that wind was taking care of it.

“After that throw, I was a little bit concerned, particularly going that direction of putting the ball in the air for too long. [Even] for a guy like Caleb, who’s got a super strong arm, too.”

The conditions in Philadelphia were tough, with abnormally strong winds, but Johnson refused to use that as an excuse. He wants more out of Williams, the wide receivers and the passing attack as a whole.

“So, I would say that plays a part, but there’s a number of them that we’ve been talking about where we got to fundamentally be correct,” Johnson continued.

“The primary receiver when he’s open, we’ve got to make sure we hit him. And then all of our pass catchers — we just harped on it today — we need to be more disciplined in our route detail.

“It’s not where it needs to be. Our depth’s not proper all the time, our steps… Everybody has a role to play to get this pass game cleaned up.

Caleb Williams #18 of the Chicago Bears warms up prior to the game against the Philadelphia Eagles — Williams has taken a leap up from his rookie year

Head coach Ben Johnson of the Chicago Bears looks on during the second quarter against the Minnesota Vikings — Johnson is one of the favorites to win Coach of the Year

Caleb Williams #18 of the Chicago Bears celebrates a win over the Cincinnati Bengals — The Bears will go as Williams goes

“It’s not where it needs to be. We’re winning in spite of our passing game, not because of it. And none of us are pleased with that right now.”

Of course, it is much easier to say these things and criticize your quarterback when you are winning.

Through 12 games, Williams has thrown for 2,722 yards, 17 touchdowns, and five interceptions. He is not playing poorly by any means. In fact, by Chicago Bears quarterback standards, he is having one of the best seasons in franchise history.

He just isn’t playing up to his head coach’s standards, and that should be seen as a positive. Johnson expects much more from his young quarterback. Since arriving, he has completely changed the culture of the often downtrodden Chicago franchise.

Johnson doesn’t want good. He doesn’t want average. He wants the best, and while Williams may not yet be meeting those high standards, he is still playing well and helping the team win games.

The 24-year-old has a third-down passer rating of 102.9, which ranks fifth in the NFL.

talkSPORT reacts... Ben Johnson is exactly who the Chicago Bears need

As the calendar turns to December and the rest of the NFC looks up at the Bears, one thing is clear.

Ben Johnson has completely transformed the Windy City franchise. He is cut from a different cloth and it’s evident in how the Bears are finding ways to win games that they normally would have lost in the past.

So he’s calling out his quarterback publicly? Good, who cares?

Johnson is demanding greatness. He says it after every win.

“Good, better, best. Never let it rest. Until your good is better and your better is best.”

That’s the 2025 Chicago Bears mantra. And so far, it’s working.

NFL's Greatest......

Ranking the top 10......

Quarterbacks of all-time – Can anyone better Tom Brady?

Wide receivers of all-time – Does Randy Moss or Jerry Rice come out on top?

Running backs of all-time – Stacking Jim Brown, Barry Sanders, Walter Payton, Emmitt Smith and more

Tight ends of all-time – How does Travis Kelce compare?

According to TruMediaSports, among Bears quarterbacks since at least 2000, that mark ranks third, behind Josh McCown’s 108.5 in 2013 and Jay Cutler’s 103.2 in 2015.

Given the often depressing history of Chicago quarterbacks, Williams is actually performing near the top of the list.

The Bears haven’t finished as the top seed in the conference since 2006 — nearly two decades ago. And what happened that year? They went to the Super Bowl.

There are still five games left, including two huge matchups with the Green Bay Packers over the next three weeks, so much remains to unfold.

But if Williams can play the way Johnson wants, the Windy City could very well earn a first-round bye.

Stay up to date with the latest from the NFL across all platforms – follow our dedicated talkSPORT USA Facebook page and subscribe to our talkSPORT USA YouTube channel for all the news, exclusives, interviews and more