Bears OTAs Suggest Caleb Williams Could Be Poised for a Massive Year 3

At this time last year, the Chicago Bears' fanbase was filled with a nervous energy. The arrival of head coach Ben Johnson in January inspired hope, but early OTA practices with the offense were a mess. According to longtime Bears insider Brad Biggs, however, the Bears' offense looks totally different this time around. "They're building toward 11-on-11," Biggs told 104.3 The Score on Friday morning, "and you can certainly see elements yesterday that they're a heck of a lot smoother than 12 months ago at this time."

As Caleb Williams goes, so go the Bears in 2026

It's very early in the offseason, and the Bears are still doing a lot of 7-on-7 drills, which are basically training wheel drills for the offense. Regardless, the significance of this report from Biggs shouldn't be downplayed. The purpose of these offseason OTAs is to build a solid foundation for the upcoming season. Last year, that foundation was shaky and it took a long time for the Bears offense to get going on.

But this is Year 2 of Ben Johnson's offense, and the team is apparently already getting into midseason form. In fact, we already have a Caleb Williams highlight pass to Rome Odunze in Thursday's practice. Williams rolled to his right in an 11-on-11 drill and uncorked a bomb down the sideline to Odunze, who ran it in for a touchdown. According to QB3 Case Keenum, the ball traveled 67 yards through the air. Additionally, Zavion Thomas was the star rookie of the day after hauling in a 50-yard throw from Williams, according to CHGO's Mark Carman.

The importance of these updates can't be overstated, especially in regards to what it means for Caleb Williams. Many players will be key contributors to the Bears in 2026, but none more so than the quarterback. As Williams goes, so go the Bears. If he struggles and regresses in Year 3, then so will the Bears. However, if he takes that next step in his development into a true superstar, then the Bears will also take another step towards being a true Super Bowl contender.

The Bears will need to lean on an explosive offense in 2026

These reports are exactly what the Bears need to see in OTAs, especially from their offense. Dennis Allen may believe that he has the secret sauce to fix the Bears' pass rush, and there's a ton of potential in their new free agency signings and draft picks, but that side of the ball pulled a Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde act in 2025. They led the league in takeaways, sure, but when they weren't taking the ball away, they were getting gashed. By the end of the season, Chicago finished in the Bottom 10 in yards allowed, points allowed, and sacks.

Hopefully that changes, and if the Bears are to make good on Tyson Bagent's promise of a Super Bowl victory in 2027, they'll need a strong defense. But that unit has a long way to go just to be league average. That means that the Bears will probably have to lean on an explosive offense in 2026, and the hope is that it will also be a more consistent offense that doesn't have to rely on furious fourth-quarter comebacks, as fun as those were to watch.

If Williams is already connecting with his pass-catchers on deep shots, the kind of plays that open up the playbook and make the layups easier, then the ceiling for this offense is up in the stratosphere and Ryan Poles won't have to wait long for the green light to sign Caleb Williams to a massive extension.

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