It hasn't taken long to realize Ben Johnson isn't afraid to speak the truth, whether people want to hear it or not. He does it to his players, coaching staff, the media, and the fans. The new Chicago Bears head coach deals in reality. There is only one way for a team to improve: confronting the actual problems. If you try avoiding them, you're doomed to fail. That is why Johnson has been giving guys the straightest answers in practice and the meeting rooms. What they're doing isn't good enough.
Nobody has gotten that lecture more times than Caleb Williams. Everybody within earshot of them over the past few months can confirm it. Johnson has been relentless with his young quarterback, throwing all sorts of challenges at him without letup. Some think he might be pushing too hard. It's easy to forget the previous coaching staff badly mishandled Williams. He needs some time to reset. Johnson set the record straight on Mully & Haugh for 670 The Score. He isn't hard on Williams because he enjoys it.
He's that way because the quarterback asked for it.
Ben Johnson is acting at the request of his quarterback.
Something to keep in mind here: The head coach isn't out to make Williams' life miserable. Ben Johnson will only throw as much at the quarterback as he thinks he can handle. Williams insisted from day one of arriving in Chicago that he wanted to be one of the greats. That is why he was so frustrated last season that the coaching staff didn't grill him harder. Johnson has no such issue. If Williams wants the stick instead of the carrot, so be it. Few understand the value of hard work better than the Bears' head coach. That is how he got to where he is now. To him, there is no substitute. The only way Williams will reach the status he's aiming for is by putting in the time and making the sacrifices. As the coach, Johnson can't afford to be lenient. Football is difficult for most positions. It is doubly so for quarterbacks.
If Williams isn't cut out for the grind, then he is wasting his time. So far, the former #1 pick has embraced the challenge. Johnson will keep up the pressure until both get the results they want.
