Chicago Bears training camp is in full swing, and quarterback Caleb Williams has run the offense with efficiency, giving fans hope for another division title. Head coach Ben Johnson was asked recently how he keeps his young quarterback’s ego in check, and his answer, relayed by Bears beat writer Patrick Finley, was short and pointed.
“How does Ben Johnson keep Caleb Williams humble? ‘We tell him the truth in the meetings,’ he said with a smile,” Finley wrote on X. The line landed as classic Johnson — no theatrics, just an insistence on film-room honesty over ego management.
How does Ben Johnson keep Caleb Williams humble?
"We tell him the truth in the meetings," he said with a smile.— Patrick Finley (@patrickfinley) August 6, 2026
It fits the dynamic Johnson has built with Williams since taking over as head coach. He’s pushed his quarterback hard, and Johnson has continued working with Williams extensively, trying to squeeze more consistency out of an already talented arm. Last season, Williams completed 58.1% of his passes, threw 27 touchdowns against seven interceptions, and posted a 90.1 passer rating. He wasn’t just a pocket thrower, either — Williams carried the ball 77 times for 388 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.
Williams Arrives Lighter and Looking to Take Another Step
Williams could bring even more of that mobility into 2026. He told reporters at Halas Hall he shed 10 to 15 pounds this offseason, a change he attributed to eating earlier in the evening and prioritizing sleep. It’s a small tweak on paper, but for a quarterback who was already among the fastest at his position a year ago, shaving weight could translate to quicker reads and cleaner escapes from pressure.
That physical shift comes as Williams tries to help the Bears repeat as NFC North champions after going 11-6 last season — Chicago’s first division title since 2018. The roster around him remains largely intact. Receivers Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III are both back, tight end Colston Loveland returns after a productive rookie year, and running back D’Andre Swift is still in the backfield to balance the offense.
| Category | Caleb Williams — 2025 Season |
|---|---|
| Completion % | 58.1% |
| Passing Touchdowns | 27 |
| Interceptions | 7 |
| Passer Rating | 90.1 |
| Rushing Yards | 388 (77 carries) |
| Rushing Touchdowns | 3 |
A Tougher Division Awaits
None of it comes easy. The Bears sit in a crowded NFC North alongside the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, and Detroit Lions, and every game against that group carries real weight in the standings. Chicago also enters the season facing one of the toughest schedules in the league by opponents’ combined record, which means there’s little margin for the kind of late-game execution errors that plagued Williams as a rookie.
That’s the backdrop for Johnson’s approach. Rather than manage Williams’ confidence with praise, he’s leaning on directness in the meeting room — treating the quarterback like any other player who needs correction, not a first overall pick who needs protecting. Williams, for his part, has talked openly about how different this camp feels compared to a year ago, when the relationship between quarterback and coach was still being built under pressure. This time, both sides appear to already be speaking the same language.
If the chemistry holds, and if the extra mobility shows up on tape, Chicago has the pieces to make a real push at defending its division crown. Whether “telling him the truth in meetings” is enough to keep Williams both humble and sharp will start to show once preseason games begin.
