How The Caleb Williams ESPN Report Inadvertently Helped Ben Johnson

The Chicago Bears' offseason was rocked by a bombshell report from ESPN last week. Seth Wickersham revealed details from his new book that said quarterback Caleb Williams and his father explored multiple ways to avoid getting drafted by the team last year. Carl Williams felt the Bears organization was a graveyard for quarterbacks, as evidenced by names like Justin Fields, Mitch Trubisky, and Jay Cutler, among many others. It came dangerously close to Williams pulling another John Elway and Eli Manning situation. However, he got cold feet at the eleventh hour, choosing to embrace the challenge.

His reservations were proven correct. The Bears were a disaster last season, with the head coach and offensive coordinator getting fired midseason and no stability on the offensive line. That is likely why fans didn't show much outrage toward the quarterback when the report hit. If anything, it may have done the Bears a huge service. Why? It gave new head coach Ben Johnson a priceless opportunity to show his new quarterback that he had a staunch ally in his corner. His comments at the recent press conference proved it.

“It’s come to my attention that the quarterback has been out in the media over the last week,” Johnson said. “And just to get out in front of that a little bit, I just wanted to say I wasn’t here last year. So I can’t speak too much in terms of what it was like before he got here and when he got here last year.

“But from my four months on the job, he has been outstanding to work with and we are focusing on getting a little better every day.”

Caleb Williams finally knows the head coach has his back.

It never seemed to feel that way with Matt Eberflus. The former Bears head coach actually had a reputation that followed from Indianapolis. While players respected his prowess as a defensive coordinator, he had a tendency to alienate guys. His communication skills weren't always the best. This reared its ugly head in Chicago when he failed to give Caleb Williams the necessary guidance on becoming a pro. His coaches didn't even bother helping him watch film, which explains why the quarterback sometimes looked so out of sorts. Johnson's obsession with details won't let such things happen. He will ensure Williams is cared for in every facet of the game. That includes defending him in the media.