Playing catch-up on Ben Johnson press conferences and found some things said by the first-year Chicago Bears head coach that were worth highlighting
A Caleb Williams progress report
How second-year Bears quarterback Caleb Williams grows in this offense is the storyline to follow this summer. To be clear, this isn’t to say there aren’t other important stories worth keeping tabs on during training camp. But this team will go only as far as the quarterback goes, so it is of the utmost importance that Williams keeps growing.
With that being said, I found this progress report dished out by Bears Head Coach Ben Johnson during his Tuesday morning press conference to be revealing:
“I probably just see growth. He is so much more comfortable right now. Even yesterday, the walk-through, in terms of moving around. We go from gun to under to the tight ends are moving, the receivers are moving, we’re adding more every day. I told him this on the player’s day off: His process is really clean right now. I’m talking about how he’s preparing. I’m really pleased with it. He is doing the work behind the scenes that no one else is seeing and we’re starting to see the dividends being paid from it.”
There is so much in the quote above that I loved reading.
Caleb Williams is showing signs of growth, and it is showing up in different aspects of his game. For starters, there appears to be a growing level of general comfort. More specifically, it seems as if Caleb is finding a comfort level operating from under center. This is a notable bit of progress when you consider how little time he has spent taking snaps under center. Johnson’s mention of Williams’ preparation and work behind the scenes is also a sight for sore eyes. This is the type of stuff the best quarterbacks do every day. Not only is QB1 doing it, but his head coach sees that the work is being put in and that results are starting to show.
Jun 3, 2025; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) cools off during minicamp at Halas Hall. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn ImagesWhat Ben Johnson learned from studying Bill Belichick
I have been searching for a place to expand on this Ben Johnson quote (via the Sun-Times) and struggled to carve a path. But in a better-late-than-never world, I finally found my angle. But first, here is the quote:
“Every game is its own entity. That’s what I learned — I saw it for a number of years when I was in Miami. The Patriots were at the top of the league for so long, and each week, you just didn’t know. Offense and defense, they just continued to morph, and they had their opponents guessing. You didn’t know what Belichick was gonna pull out front-wise or coverage-wise on defense. You didn’t know what McDaniels was gonna do on offense. He might throw it 50 times; he might run it 50 times. Standing from afar, seeing how dominant that was, I think that’s a really good tactic to have. That’s something I would like to do here, as well.”
One of my favorite things about the Ben Johnson hire is that his coaching background was diverse in terms of coaches and styles that molded his football brain.
Coaching under Dan Campbell, Adam Gase, Matt Patricia, and Joe Philbin had its perks. Working as a tight ends coach, receivers coach, quality control coach, and in other assistant roles before making his way to being an offensive coordinator and play-caller helped Johnson gain a greater perspective. So reading those comments reflecting on his time coaching for the Miami Dolphins as an assistant against Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels (when he was the Patriots OC) from 2012-18 was eye-opening. It seems like it presented some teachable moments. I hope he can apply that to his time as the Bears’ head coach.
Jul 23, 2025; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson looks on during training camp at Halas Hall. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn ImagesExtra Points
Bears Head Coach Ben Johnson opened his Tuesday press conference by sharing his well-wishes to Ryne Sandberg’s family:“I just want to take a second as we get going here to acknowledge the passing of Ryne Sandberg. You know that I grew up a big Cubs fan, and so he was a big part of my childhood. My family, we watched him, Mark Grace, the whole crew on WGN for a number of years. I know what he means to the city and the career that he had. So, thoughts and prayers to his family.”
MORE: The Ryne Sandberg Tributes Keep Pouring In
"There's a little bit more to life than just football." pic.twitter.com/AqFQZjrwtx
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) July 29, 2025 Johnson also offered sympathy and a moment of reflection when discussing the shooting tragedy that happened near NFL headquarters. It’s times like this that put things into a bigger perspective. A good pull from Nicholas Moreano (via Twitter/X) with this Ben Johnson quote discussing what it is like to work against Defensive Coordinator Dennis Allen in practice:“Another coach told me yesterday, they said, ‘Dennis has a little ego too now.’ So he didn’t come into camp to get steamrolled at all. He’s looking to make a name for the defense. He’s bringing it. He’s bringing it left and right. It’s a compliment when all those defenders talk about how complex it is because, yeah, we see it on offense, too. It’s hard. We’re having a difficult time in protection right now. I think that’s what stands out to me from the first five practices.”
This Ben Johnson quote on Rome Odunze is something that will rattle in my brain for a bit: “To me, he fits that prototypical X receiver where you can line him up outside the numbers. And provided he gets a one-on-one with a corner, he is going to win most of his matchups.” For more from first-year Bears Head Coach Ben Johnson, you can watch the video below:Hence then, the article about ben johnson speaks tribute to ryne sandberg caleb williams progress learning from bill belichick more was published today ( ) and is available on Bleacher Nation ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Ben Johnson Speaks: Tribute to Ryne Sandberg, Caleb Williams’ Progress, Learning From Bill Belichick, More )
Also on site :