After an offseason spent shaking up their coaching staff and improving their offense, the Chicago Bears have built their team around second-year quarterback Caleb Williams.
Williams broke the Bears' rookie passing record last season, throwing for 3,541 yards, 20 touchdowns and six interceptions, despite taking a league-high 68 sacks. Though the numbers are solid for the former first-overall pick, Chicago will look to him now after making many offseason improvements.
One of the biggest questions facing the Bears this season is whether Williams will hold up his end of the bargain and live up to expectations, according to Bleacher Report's Matt Holder.
"Reports surfaced that Williams and his father weren't fans of the previous Bears coaching staff, which was justified, seeing as Matt Eberflus and Co. were fired," Holder wrote. "But now that the organization hired an offensive-minded coach in Ben Johnson this offseason, it's time for the 2024 No. 1 overall pick to hold up his end of the bargain. From the sounds of it, the young quarterback has been doing his part so far."
Johnson believes that Williams is doing his part so far during OTA's, as shared by Mike Pendleton of Bears Wire.
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"It's been consistent throughout," Johnson said. "He's been very attentive. He's been very detailed in terms of the meetings. He's taking great notes, he's asking excellent questions. The more we're out on the grass together, we're figuring out what we can put in the morning and what we can execute later on in the afternoon. That's been the fun part of it so far."
The Bears' roster seems ready to compete in a stacked NFC North, but their ceiling likely falls on whether Williams can take a jump in his second year in the league.
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