Caleb

Williams

Williams was on damage control duty when talking to the media today. He didn’t deny any of Seth Wickersham’s reporting on him potentially forcing a pre-draft trade. He did, however, greatly downplay the story, saying he had a good visit with the Vikings before the draft but was sold on Chicago after meeting with the team. Williams even acknowledged the Bears’ recent history of horrific quarterback play, which Wickersham also mentioned in the excerpt from his upcoming book. While it sounds like Williams never took any steps toward engineering a trade to Minnesota or any other team, the thought undoubtedly crossed his mind.

Thuney’s new deal includes $33.5 million guaranteed. Under new head coach Ben Johnson, the Bears have prioritized the team’s offensive line after Caleb Williams led the league in sacks during his rookie season. Pro Football Focus graded Chicago’s offensive line as 2024’s eighth-best pass-blocking unit. Thuney, acquired from the Chiefs via trade back in early March, was graded by PFF as last year’s third-best pass-blocking guard. He allowed just eight QB hits and two sacks over 17 games with Kansas City in 2024.

In other words, he mulled pulling an Elway. “Chicago is the place quarterbacks go to die,” were the words of Caleb’s father Carl to ESPN’s Seth Wickersham. Williams reportedly desired a trade to the Vikings, but he changed his mind after touring the Bears’ facility. “I can do it for this team,” Caleb reportedly told his dad. “I’m going to go to the Bears.” Williams acknowledged any attempt to force a trade would require going scorched earth on the Bears and city of Chicago, a process he did not have the stomach for. There have been zero reports of Bears/Williams drama since he made his peace with the idea, even after former coach Matt Eberflus’ clown show 2024 mistakes. It’s an interesting story, but one firmly planted in the past.

In his first year as the Bears’ head coach, Johnson will get the chance to work with his franchise quarterback this offseason. Williams is “very comfortable” in shotgun formation, so Johnson said they will “work to see the comfort level under center” to further open up the offense. As last year’s No. 1 overall pick, Williams struggled at times and finished with 3,541 passing yards while taking a whopping 68 sacks. Now he gets to build from the ground up with an offensive-minded head coach in Ben Johnson. Bears fans will be excited to hear about their head coach and franchise quarterback working closely together leading into the season.

Pompei said Johnson — as he did with Jared Goff in Detroit — will give Williams more control over the Chicago offense, including free reign to change plays at the line of scrimmage. “He gave Goff authority with protection adjustments that not all QBs have, and eliminated plays that Goff didn’t love,” Pompei said, adding that the Bears’ offense will be more aggressive on fourth downs with Johnson in charge. The Bears in 2024 were the fourth most aggressive offense in fourth down situations. Johnson has been complimentary of Williams following his down rookie campaign. Williams, according to Johnson, has “quite a fastball and has some creativity to him, can extend plays and is accurate down the field as well.” Williams ranked 27th out of 33 qualifying quarterbacks last season in downfield accuracy.

While Williams would like an offensive-minded coach, the 2024 No. 1 overall pick remained open to considering any coach who is a “strong-minded, a leader of men.” Whether or not the Bears take Williams’ desires into consideration is to be determined, but they have met with several offensive coaches throughout the interview process, including Cardinals OC Drew Petzing, former Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy, former Seahawks HC Pete Carroll, and Lions OC Ben Johnson — to name a few. They’ve also requested a sit down with Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury, who he spent time with during their days at USC in 2023. The Bears will have a number of offensive minds to choose from to help Williams and the team improve on an offense that ranked 28th in scoring (18.2 points per game) last season. Whether or not the Bears go with an offensive-minded guy is to be determined, but the franchise QB has spoken.

Brady, who has received interest from the Saints for their head coaching job, might have his pick of head coaching opportunities after leading the Bills to a hyper productive 2024 season in which they had the league’s second highest EPA per play. Brady would be tasked with figuring out how to help Caleb Williams become a viable NFL starter after his disappointing rookie season (only Will Levis and Anthony Richardson had a lower drop back EPA than Williams). Brady’s work with Josh Allen could go a long way in convincing the Bears he’s the guy for them.

Vrabel, who was passed over for head coaching jobs last offseason, will also interview with the Jets for their head coaching vacancy. Vrabel went 54-45 over six years with the Titans, running one of the most conservative offenses in the NFL and largely failing to adopt to the modern NFL. The Saints would represent a total rebuild project for Vrabel, 49. In Chicago, Vrabel would inherit Caleb Williams in Chicago after Williams’ borderline disastrous rookie campaign. Only Anthony Richardson and Will Levis had lower EPAs per play than Williams in 2024.

The young man added three carries for 10 yards. It was a low-key ending to a wildly up-and-down rookie campaign even if it featured 23-year-old Williams’ first game-winning drive. There was a strong belief in the preseason Williams had to merely be average to become the Bears’ first-ever 4,000-yard passer. Instead, he has to settle for 3,541 yards in 17 games, good for fifth most in franchise history behind 1995 Erik Kramer and three Jay Cutler campaigns. That hardly tells the whole story, of course. Stocked with a well-supplied receiver corps but saddled with an undermanned OL, Williams took an incomprehensible, league-worst 68 sacks. Williams displayed extreme toughness amidst the beating, but his “never say die” attitude did not translate to actual production. Just longer plays. Williams has plenty of alibis — his blocking, nightmarishly bad coaching — but he has to find a way to not only settle down, but be far more accurate. His missed “gimme” throws all year. Williams’ NFL future — or at least the fate of his rookie contract — hinges on the Bears’ next head-coaching hire.

He added that there’s been no thought or discussion to benching Caleb Williams. The Bears look likely to go in with the best lineup they can field against the Packers, who should probably also still be fielding starters with a chance to avoid the 2-7 game with a win and get a much easier first-round matchup against the Rams or the NFC South champion.