Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles made a big splash in hiring Ben Johnson as the team’s head coach to lead them and work with quarterback Caleb Williams in his second year. Upon his arrival in Chicago, Johnson said his focus was to rebuild Williams from ground zero, and the results showed in a big way in their first year together.
Williams’ play was highlighted by several ridiculous throws that set the NFL world and media ablaze, while the team’s success surprised many with Chicago winning their first NFC North title since 2018, as well as winning their first postseason game in 15 years. Although the Bears fell short in the NFC divisional round against the Los Angeles Rams, Williams and Johnson showed quite the chemistry and progress in their first year together, leaving plenty of excitement for what’s to come.
Recently, Poles was a guest on SiriusXM’s NFL Radio and was asked about the next step in Williams’ development, and he believes it’ll come down to the challenges he receives from his head coach.
“I think Coach is going to challenge him to be even more efficient,” Poles said. “Not only with just the operation but completions. I think when you have special playmaking traits and you lean onto mobility and escapability, I think sometimes you don’t take the easy throw. Taking what’s given to you, moving onto the next down, staying ahead of the chains and being more efficient overall, I think that’s what he’s going to challenge him on doing. As well as becoming a leader, a little bit more vocal, he was learning so much, he was in the fire, I think as he grows as a young quarterback, I think the leadership will continue to grow, too.”
There seems to be a direct line of understanding from Poles to Johnson to Williams, and all three know that their chemistry and relationship can help take the franchise to new levels of success. If their first year was any indication of their potential, the next steps of Williams’ development could see them set up for multiple playoff appearances (and hopefully a championship) in the future.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears GM Ryan Poles explains next steps for Caleb Williams
