Bears' Ben Johnson already making things too difficult for Caleb Williams?

Chicago Bears training camp is underway, and apparently, quarterback Caleb Williams has not exactly gotten off to a great start in the Ben Johnson era. Not only did he throw an interception right off the bat, but he and the first-team offense were kicked off the field for not lining up correctly.

Clearly, Johnson means business, which is a great thing. He is also holding Williams accountable, which is fantastic. But is the first-year head coach already putting too much pressure on the second-year signal-caller?

This has nothing to do with Johnson's demeanor at practice. That's perfectly fine. It has more to do with the lofty expectations he has played upon Williams heading into 2025.

Johnson has already stated that he told Williams he wants him to complete 70 percent of his passes. That is an awful lot to ask from Williams, who completed only 62.5 percent of his passes last season and never even completed 70 percent of his throws in college.

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) runs onto the field to warm up on Thanksgiving Day at Ford Field in Detroit. | Kimberly P. Mitchell / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

What Johnson is attempting to do is understandable. He wants to set big goals for Williams to leave him plenty of room to achieve them. But is he also making things a bit too complicated for the former No. 1 overall pick, who already has enough to deal with as it is?

Williams is only entering his sophomore campaign, and we know what that can do to quarterbacks. We even saw historically great rookie C.J. Stroud struggle in Year 2 last season. It's rather common.

Johnson's job is to make things easier for Williams; not compound his problems. The Bears already fell flat in Williams' rookie campaign, going just 5-12 in spite of many expecting Chicago to contend for the playoffs. There was enough pressure to go around in 2024.

Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson speaks during minicamp at Halas Hall. | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Further exacerbating that pressure could potentially sabotage the Bears' season before it starts, and let's remember that they are playing in the incredibly rugged NFC North, a division that Johnson — a former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator — knows very well.

Maybe Williams' rather shaky 2025 training camp debut was just a hiccup. Or it could be symptomatic of a greater developing issue if the expectations are becoming a bit too heavy.

If Williams can actually complete 70 percent of his passes, it would obviously be fantastic, but it seems like a rather unrealistic ask from the 23-year-old. Shooting for something like 65 percent is a bit more realistic.

Williams actually had a solid showing in his first NFL season, throwing for 3,541 yards, 20 touchdowns and six interceptions in spite of being sacked 68 times (which was definitely partially his fault). He can definitely build on those positives.

But it's the responsibility of the new head coach to properly bring along his young quarterback and place him in the best position to succeed.

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) looks to pass the ball during minicamp at Halas Hall. | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

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