# Caleb Williams, Ben Johnson, and the Chicago Bears Want More After a Surprising Playoff Run

**By Hank Morrow**  \nPublished September 7, 2026  \nUpdated September 9, 2026

> Following a surprising division title and a dramatic playoff exit, Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears enter a demanding new season with elevated expectations and deep offensive continuity.

There is a specific, quiet tension that arrives when a rebuilding franchise skips a step. For the Chicago Bears, the 2025 campaign delivered an unexpected leap: an NFC North division title, a thrilling wild-card win over the rival Green Bay Packers, and a postseason push under head coach Ben Johnson that permanently altered the organizational landscape. Yet, as the team reconvened at Halas Hall and worked through the calendar toward a grueling first-place schedule, the prevailing mood across the facility was not self-congratulation. It was an insatiable hunger for more.

Entering his third NFL season, quarterback Caleb Williams has spent the offseason internalizing the lessons of a year that established him as one of the league's most dangerous playmakers. Under Johnson’s play-calling tutelage in 2025, Williams rewrote the franchise record books by passing for 3,942 yards and 27 touchdowns against just seven interceptions. More memorably, he engineered an NFL-record seven victories in games where Chicago trailed inside the final two minutes of regulation. Despite those late-game heroics, capped by a dramatic 14-yard touchdown pass to tight end Cole Kmet in a heartbreaking 20-17 overtime divisional-round loss to the Los Angeles Rams, Williams made it clear that his personal benchmark remains untouched.

*It was good for me to be able to see, to be able to feel, to be able to go out there and win games,* Williams reflected during the offseason. *But that wasn't my goal. That's not my goal. That's not where I want to be. I want to be the best. I want to win. I want to be a world champion, a Super Bowl champion.*

## The Evolution of the Johnson-Williams Partnership

The bedrock of Chicago's offensive optimism lies in the accelerating chemistry between Williams and Johnson. Unlike a year ago, when the offense had to digest a brand-new playbook from scratch, the unit enters the current stretch with rare continuity in verbiage, personnel, and structure. Tight end Cole Kmet pointed out that Williams’ progression was most evident in the unheralded areas—pre-snap command, huddle presence, and rapid decision-making at the line of scrimmage.

That foundation has allowed Johnson to dial up the pressure during the spring and summer. During their exit meeting two days after the playoff loss to the Rams, Johnson laid out a stark challenge for his franchise quarterback: It's going to be more. It's going to be more difficult. I'm going to push you more. Williams’ immediate response was unequivocal confirmation, setting the tone for an intense preparation cycle that included private skill-position workouts with teammates like Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III, and Colston Loveland at USC.

The weapon arsenal surrounding Williams is robust. Loveland rebounded from a quiet start to his rookie season to haul in 58 catches for 713 yards and six touchdowns, forming a formidable multi-tight end alignment alongside Kmet and third-round rookie draft addition Sam Roush out of Stanford. With Odunze and Burden anchoring the wide receiver corps, the Bears possess a young core intentionally designed to grow together over multiple contracts.

## Personnel Pressures: Defensive Vulnerabilities and Roster Strain

While the offense enters with elevated polish, the defensive side of the ball presents stark personnel concerns that could alter down-and-distance leverage throughout the autumn. The secondary and defensive line have absorbed significant hits:

- **Secondary Setbacks:** Free-agent addition S Coby Bryant could miss the entire season after suffering a left knee injury in training camp, while cornerback Kyler Gordon has been sidelined by a calf issue following an injury-plagued 2025 campaign. First-round rookie Dillon Thieneman steps directly into a starting strong safety role with inevitable growing pains.

- **Pass Rush Questions:** The Bears managed only 35 sacks last season and made no major veteran acquisitions on the defensive line during the offseason. Hopes for a pass-rush lift largely hinge on the eventual return of second-round draft pick Shemar Turner from a torn ACL, alongside the unexpected training camp emergence of physical 310-pound sixth-round rookie defensive tackle Jordan van den Berg.

- **Backfield Stability:** D’Andre Swift returns as the established lead back following a career-high 1,087 rushing yards and nine touchdowns last season. His workload could expand further out of the gate as backup running back Kyle Monangai works his way back from a leg injury.

## Evidence-Led Forecast: Navigating a First-Place Schedule

The tactical pattern for Chicago in the upcoming campaign will test whether an elite young passing attack can outpace inherent defensive margin-of-error issues. Because the Bears face a first-place schedule, replicating their historic penchant for late-game escapes is statistically improbable; opponent execution and defensive health will dictate whether games remain tight in the final two minutes.

**The Decisive Matchup:** Chicago’s pass protection and quick-game efficiency against opposing front sevens. If Williams continues to process at an elite level and leverages his exceptional tight-end tandem to neutralize heavy blitz packages, the offense can dictate tempo and keep an depleted secondary off the field.

**The Strongest Counter-Case:** If the absence of Coby Bryant and Kyler Gordon leaves the backend exposed, and the pass rush fails to improve upon last year's 35-sack total, Williams and the offense will be forced into high-scoring shootouts that erode the margin for error.

**What Would Change the Read:** Rapid, disciplined impact from rookie safety Dillon Thieneman and an early-season pass-rush breakout from Jordan van den Berg or a recovering Shemar Turner would neutralize the primary defensive doubts, transforming a volatile contender into a complete NFC powerhouse.

## Sources

- [esquire.com](https://www.esquire.com/sports/a64304402/caleb-williams-chicago-bears-interview-2025/) — original
- [chicagobears.com](https://www.chicagobears.com/news/caleb-williams-confident-bears-will-reach-next-level) — original
- [apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/nfl-chicago-bears-7a464b3e2f58f380e755b23de4aca196) — original
- [thestar.com](https://www.thestar.com/sports/football/caleb-williams-and-the-chicago-bears-want-more-after-surprising-playoff-run-last-season/article_2f300666-19de-5c84-955b-7eb04c8b4b95.html) — original