The Chicago Bears have won the NFC North in 2025, during the first year of Ben Johnson's head coaching career with the Bears. Alongside Caleb Williams, the Bears are finally turning into a contender.
While there are still some reservations about how serious a Super Bowl contender the Bears will be in 2025, thanks in part to a beat-up defense and wide receiver room, the pairing of Johnson and Williams is not in doubt.
For ESPN writer Courtney Cronin, the pairing of Johnson and Williams has been a perfect match so far, just one season into their careers together.
Caleb Williams, Ben Johnson are a 'perfect match' for Bears
"Quarterback Caleb Williams and coach Ben Johnson are a perfect match," Cronin writes. "Johnson chose the Bears in large part because of his belief in Williams and that he could turn the 2024 NO. 1 overall pick into a franchise quarterback."
That belief from Johnson has turned into reality, as Williams is closing in on one of the best seasons from a Bears quarterback in franchise history.
The 24-year-old quarterback and the 39-year-old head coach have been great together. After Johnson's successful stint with the Detroit Lions, he has helped turn the Bears into a contender in just one season.
Last season, the Bears finished 5-12 and were one of the worst teams in the NFL thanks to some major issues on offense and a lackluster defense.
But, since Johnson has taken over, not only has the team gone 11-5 entering Week 18, clinched the NFC North, and is a win away from the NFC's No. 2 seed, but Williams has turned into the franchise quarterback the Bears have been searching for.
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He flashed potential in 2024, but in 2025, Williams has been significantly more impressive. While his completion percentage has dropped from 62.5% to 57.9%, his overall production has increased.
He has 3,730 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, and six interceptions entering Week 18. But one of the best changes from a year ago is the sack difference. While the offensive line has improved, Williams has taken just 23 sacks compared to the 68 he had last year.
Last year, he was sacked 10.79% of the time, while he's been sacked just 4.12% of the time this season. That's a significant improvement, and it's thanks in part to the great offensive environment Johnson has helped create for Williams.
There's still plenty of room for improvement between Johnson and Williams, but for now, the pairing could not have gone much better.
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