A new era of Chicago Bears football is about to get underway once 2025 training camp kicks off in less than two weeks, and it's an era that one longtime NFL insider dubbed "fascinating."
Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer outlined 10 things the NFL world will be talking about once training camps around the league begin, and the Bears' duo of Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson topped the list of second-year QB talking points.
"With that said, I’m fascinated to see what new coach Ben Johnson does with Williams; how Joe Thuney, Drew Dalman and Jonah Jackson invigorate that line; and how rookie tight end Colston Loveland integrates into an already strong skill group," Breer wrote.
Breer mentioned how a big storyline in 2025 will be the development of all five highly drafted second-year quarterbacks: Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, Bo Nix and Michael Pennix. For Bears fans, all that matters is how Williams develops under Johnson, even if his performance continues to be overshadowed by Daniels', who will continue to be the darling of NFL media until further notice.
Williams finished his rookie year with 3,541 passing yards and 20 TDs. It was a good first season by any measure. However, for a player who entered the NFL with as much hype as Williams, a 'good' year isn't good enough. Williams was expected to be Mahomesian, which, in hindsight, was ludicrous.
What gets lost in the narrative around Williams is the dysfunction he was able to rise above in 2024 and still have on-field success. The Bears fired their head coach in-season for the first time in franchise history, and Williams filtered through three offensive coordinators in 17 regular-season games.
Horrendous.
That won't be the case anymore, which is why Breer -- among others, like Peyton Manning -- can't wait to watch what Ben Johnson cooks up for Caleb Williams in 2025.
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