Chicago Bears’ Caleb Williams failing to meet Ben Johnson’s training camp passing expectations

The Chicago Bears will go as far as quarterback Caleb Williams does. One of the biggest reasons Ben Johnson was hired as head coach was his perceived ability to elevate Williams’ game. But throughout training camp, the Bears have seen more hiccups than heroics.

Until the regular season commences, it’s hard to truly evaluate Williams’ play. Practices have been high intensity under Johnson, but they aren’t the equivalent of live action. If the quarterback were to struggle against the Buffalo Bills in their Week 2 preseason matchup, then some alarms might start going off.

But for now, Williams’ biggest sin is not hitting the 70 percent completion percent mark Johnson wanted him to hit in practice. While the quarterback has been improving, Johnson knows Williams still must take a giant leap forward before he reaches his true No. 1 pick ceiling, via the team’s Friday press conference.

Coach Johnson is speaking with the media https://t.co/9RpoejSp1w

— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) August 15, 2025

Chicago Bears go all-in on Caleb Williams 

If anyone thought the Bears were ready to give up on Williams after his rocky rookie season, their offseason moves proved otherwise in a hurry. But at the same time, there are no more excuses. Chicago has given Williams the keys to the castle. He must prove he is who the franchise thought he was at No. 1.

But having a coach like Johnson in his corner should only help matters. He came to the Bears considered one of the strongest offensive minds in the NFL. Since linking up with Williams, the head coach has been diligent and aggressive, refusing to coddle the quarterback despite his draft standing. Johnson demands excellence, and the Bears are hopeful that’ll resonate with Williams.

On the field, the quarterback will have a brand new offensive line in front of him. The Bears traded for guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson before signing center Drew Dalman in free agency. Chicago was aggressive in ensuring Williams isn’t sacked a league-high 68 times again in 2025.

When he looks downfield to pass, the quarterback will have a litany of talented pass catchers to target. Rookies Colston Loveland and Luther Burden joined an already serviceable core of DJ Moore, Rome Odunze and Cole Kmet. Opposing defenses are going to have a difficult time stopping all of Chicago’s options if Williams is on top of his game.

But if the quarterback continues to struggle, the Bears will find themselves in the same exact spot, answering similarly dreary questions in 2026.