Ben Johnson pressed on reports of Caleb Williams trying to avoid Bears drafting him

The NFL Draft is a night when players have their dreams come true. At the same time, it’s moving onto the next step in their careers, and everyone wants the opportunity to succeed. Different teams offer different opportunities and players have some teams they’d prefer over others. In the case of Caleb Williams, his family reportedly didn’t want him to end up with the Chicago Bears.

The report comes from a forthcoming book from ESPN’s Seth Wickersham. In it, the Williams family had concerns about Chicago’s offensive system and then-offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. His father even said, “Chicago is the place quarterbacks go to die.”

Midway through his rookie season, Caleb Williams saw the Bears make their first mid-season coaching change in franchise history. They’ve hit the reset button and now Ben Johnson is in to run the team as its head coach. Now, Johnson has found himself getting pressed on Williams, and if he wanted to avoid having the Bears draft him during an appearance on The Herd.

“You talk about fears and I don’t see it quite the same way,” Ben Johnson said. “I see this as what a great opportunity we have to do something that’s never been done. There hasn’t been a 4,000-yard passer here in this franchise, and I think Caleb’s going to be the first one. One of many seasons to come where he’s able to accomplish that feat. So, I see a chance for greatness here for him.”

The Chicago Bears don’t have a long history of developing star quarterbacks, regardless of the coach. Aside from Caleb Williams himself, the Bears have selected Justin Fields, Mitch Trubisky, and Rex Grossman as quarterbacks in the first since the turn of the century. Along the way, nobody has thrown for 4,000 yards in a season.

“He’s been communicated that way and he feels the same way. I don’t know what’s gone on prior to him joining the organization,” Williams said. “But he is very proud to be a Chicago Bear. That’s what our conversations have included, and he’s really excited to get to work right now and be the best version of himself for 2025.”

Ben Johnson is replacing Matt Eberflus as the team’s head coach. He comes from an offensive background, most recently helping to develop the Detroit Lions’ offense into one of the best in the NFL. Now, he’s going to look to do the same in Chicago.

“There’s no questions, we’re gonna face adversity. We want to see growth from here to here [Johnson gestured] over the course of the season,” Williams said. “And it’s not going to be linear growth. It’s going to be ups and downs and stair steps along the way, but we want to see from game one to game 17 that we’re getting better as a whole. That’s not just him. That’s us as a team as well. So, I’m excited. That’s what makes coaching fun. When the hiccups occur, when the adversity strikes, how do we respond to it? That’s when you find out who you are as a man.”

Caleb Williams finished his rookie season completing 62.5 percent of his passes for 3,541 yards and 20 touchdowns to six interceptions. The Bears would go just 5-12. Both individually and as a team, Williams would love to improve in his second season.