Rookie QB Caleb Williams Battles to Prove Doubters Wrong in 2025

In his first NFL season last year, highly touted rookie quarterback Caleb Williams struggled mightily, going 5-12 with a 62.5% completion percentage. The Chicago Bears brought in new offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to revamp the offense, but Williams says the transition has been challenging.

"There's so many more layers that I haven't been over yet and we haven't been over yet just because it's our first year," Williams said. "There's so much more within this offense to be able to unlock it."

Williams was sacked a franchise-high 68 times in 2024, the third-most in a single season in NFL history. This led to heavy criticism from fans, with some declaring the former Heisman Trophy winner a "bust" already. However, Williams remains confident the Bears will take a step forward in 2025, saying "at some point before the season, I think we'll keep progressing, obviously."

New OC Ben Johnson has seen progress in one key area, noting "there's a lot more confidence, to his whole process" from when Williams gets the play call to when he breaks the huddle. Johnson has a track record of quickly improving offenses, leading the Lions to the league's top scoring unit in 2024.

While the road ahead may be challenging, Williams and the Bears are hoping to silence the doubters and show significant improvement in his sophomore campaign.