Windy City Gridiron
For the 17th straight year, we’re bringing you who we believe will be the ten most important Chicago Bears for the upcoming season, and at number 1 is Caleb Williams.
The quarterback has claimed the top spot in my annual Most Important Chicago Bears list thirteen times, so it’s no surprise that Caleb Williams checks in at number one this year. I had him at three a season ago, and that was becuase I expected him to be a cog in the machine the Bears created by adding players to bolster the offense. They made enough upgrades and hired an experienced play caller (which did not work out at all) to be able to bring Caleb along and put him in the best possible situations to succeed.
His rookie year should have been one where the team won with him (which did not happen), but as I wrote last year, future seasons would be ones where they win becuase of him.
If Caleb is who I think he is, that starts this year.
Last season wasn’t what he hoped for. Everything spiraled out of control with a doofus head coach who froze in big moments and an out-of-touch offensive coordinator who had no idea how to coach up his offense without the guidance of a strong head coach overseeing the plan.
It wasn’t all poor coaching and scheme, becuase Caleb had some issues in year one. He knows his deep ball needs to get better, he needs to be on the same page as his receivers, and he needs to take fewer sacks (more on that later), but there was a lot of good, too.
Despite all the dysfunction, Williams shattered the Bears' rookie passing records, and he even set the record for most rushing yards by a rookie QB.
Part of the reason for my confidence in Caleb breaking out in 2025 is head coach Ben Johnson. His week-to-week game planning, along with his play-calling, his ability to keep defenses on their toes, and his constant evolution of the playbook, is why his Detroit offenses improved every year.
I left Johnson off my Most Important Bears list this year because there isn’t a doubt in my mind that he won't be a massive upgrade over Eberflus/Waldron. He’ll get the best out of Caleb and the offense.
While I’m on the subject, I left defensive coordinator Dennis Allen off my list because he’ll be a massive upgrade over last year’s scheme.
It’s a quarterback league, so everything hinges on his success. So, keeping him upright is paramount, which is why the Bears invested so heavily in the line this offseason.
The sacks were a problem last year, and Caleb definitely needs to get better. He took some sacks that he could have avoided, but he also had to take some when the protection around him failed, and the scheme around him gave him no outlets.
This is where Ben Johnson and offensive line coach Dan Roushar come in. Johnson will...
