As the Chicago Bears kick off their offseason program, one of the team’s top priorities will be establishing chemistry between rookie quarterback Caleb Williams and newly appointed head coach Ben Johnson.
Speaking at the NFL league meetings in Florida, Johnson emphasized a back-to-basics approach in developing Williams, particularly in refining his footwork in both shotgun and under-center formations.
The Bears heavily relied on the shotgun in 2024, using it more than 70% of the time, whereas Johnson’s previous team, the Detroit Lions, operated under center more than any other squad in the league.
“There are some things that we’re going to encourage that he looks to do a little bit differently,” Johnson said. “He’s been predominantly a shotgun quarterback for most of his high school and college career, and so he’s very comfortable there.
“We’re going to work to see the comfort level under center and how much of that applies. We had a lot of success where I was last, that going under center for the run game did translate in play action.”
Johnson pointed to the success of his former offense in Detroit, noting that an under-center approach significantly benefited both the running game and play-action opportunities.
“We had a lot of success where I was last, that going under center for the run game did translate in play action,” he added.
Beyond the mechanics, Johnson stressed the importance of building a shared perspective between himself and Williams.
He said the goal of the offseason work is “to be able to see the game as a play caller through the lens of the quarterback and vice versa.”
“How do we get a higher completion percentage? I think what you saw with Jared (Goff), he had probably a career high in terms of completion percentage, and also augmenting the run-after-catch with our pass catchers as well,” Johnson added.
“So it’s something we’ve talked about, and it’s something we drilled. So I want to say that we were pretty good a year ago in that department in Detroit. Something I’d love to carry over here to Chicago.”
Ensuring Williams is comfortable executing plays from multiple alignments will be central to that effort, as the Bears begin shaping their offensive identity under a new regime.
Johnson acknowledged Chicago’s struggles last season but made sure to point out that 2025 is a fresh start for everyone.
“It’s a completely different year,” he said. “I know last year didn’t go the way that a lot of them wanted it to go, but we’re going to start fresh. We’re going to keep the standard very high. We’re going to set that bar high and we’re going to push toward it each and every day.”
As Johnson pointed out, Williams has spent the majority of his playing career in the shotgun … Just how concerned should Bears fans be about his ability to take snaps under center???
