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The Chicago Bears botched their decision to retain former head coach Matt Eberflus going into the 2024 offseason, and nearly everyone knew it at the time, including their soon-to-be new franchise quarterback. Last week, it was revealed that Bears quarterback Caleb Williams nearly went to incredible lengths to avoid being drafted by the Chicago Bears, according to ESPN's Seth Wickersham in an excerpt from his upcoming book.
Wickersham detailed how Williams and his father, Carl, were concerned about Chicago's inability to sustain success at the quarterback position. Carl Williams felt his son would be better off in a different situation, such as playing for the Minnesota Vikings and coach Kevin O'Connell.
Ultimately, Caleb decided to accept his fate of being drafted No. 1 overall and embrace becoming a member of the Bears in hopes of turning the franchise around. He and his father were vindicated with their concerns, however, as Eberflus and offensive coordinator Shane Waldron were fired midseason after many different issues arose throughout the year.
To right the ship, the Bears' front office turned to Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and quickly hired him as their new head coach in hopes of getting the most out of Williams going forward. Johnson was the consensus top option available, and his hiring was applauded across the league, as well as by the fans themselves. It was seen as an important hire back in January, but it has become even bigger in May.
Landing Johnson was obviously critical in the development of Williams, but it was also needed to change the perception surrounding the team to show they're serious about fixing their offensive woes—especially in Caleb and Carl's eyes.
In one of the excerpts from Wickersham's upcoming book, Bears general manager Ryan Poles knew Caleb had his reservations about coming to Chicago. Despite threats that the young quarterback might go scorched earth on the franchise, Poles stood firm in the game of chicken and told Caleb the Bears were still drafting him no matter what.
While he eventually fell in line, Caleb was right in the end regarding his concerns, and Poles knew what was at stake had he not found the right coach to come in. This story may have already looked much different had the Bears hired someone Caleb didn't feel he could work with.
Many will say the Wickersham excerpt is a nonstory at this point because Eberflus and Waldron are no longer with the team. While that is true, it's primarily a nonstory because of Johnson. Removing a problem still requires finding a solution. Just because the Bears ousted Eberflus does not guarantee their next hire will fare better. Johnson, however, checks all of the boxes up to this point with his prior experience and early positive reviews.
Johnson does need to prove he is the solution on the field to fix the problems ailing this team, but the Bears needed to take the swing to land him. Even if the hire doesn't work out in the end, doing whatever it took to land one of the hottest offensive coordinators of the last 10 years is enough to help change the perception surrounding the team that the Bears cannot develop quarterbacks — a perception that has been reality for quite some time.
Caleb was ecstatic when Johnson was announced as the new head coach. This is who the Bears quarterback wanted, and the hiring likely reaffirmed his belief that he could get the job done in Chicago, as he said in Wickersham's upcoming book following his pre-draft visit.
It will take time to know for sure whether or not the Johnson hire was a success and if the pairing of him and Caleb will work. What has already been a success is the front office showing Caleb and Carl that times are changing with what they are willing to do to build a consistent winner. That started with Johnson. If not for taking that big swing, who knows what Carl and Caleb might have been working on as a potential exit strategy in just Year 2.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears hiring Ben Johnson is even bigger after Caleb Williams' concerns
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Wickersham detailed how Williams and his father, Carl, were concerned about Chicago's inability to sustain success at the quarterback position. Carl Williams felt his son would be better off in a different situation, such as playing for the Minnesota Vikings and coach Kevin O'Connell.
Ultimately, Caleb decided to accept his fate of being drafted No. 1 overall and embrace becoming a member of the Bears in hopes of turning the franchise around. He and his father were vindicated with their concerns, however, as Eberflus and offensive coordinator Shane Waldron were fired midseason after many different issues arose throughout the year.
To right the ship, the Bears' front office turned to Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and quickly hired him as their new head coach in hopes of getting the most out of Williams going forward. Johnson was the consensus top option available, and his hiring was applauded across the league, as well as by the fans themselves. It was seen as an important hire back in January, but it has become even bigger in May.
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Landing Johnson was obviously critical in the development of Williams, but it was also needed to change the perception surrounding the team to show they're serious about fixing their offensive woes—especially in Caleb and Carl's eyes.
In one of the excerpts from Wickersham's upcoming book, Bears general manager Ryan Poles knew Caleb had his reservations about coming to Chicago. Despite threats that the young quarterback might go scorched earth on the franchise, Poles stood firm in the game of chicken and told Caleb the Bears were still drafting him no matter what.
While he eventually fell in line, Caleb was right in the end regarding his concerns, and Poles knew what was at stake had he not found the right coach to come in. This story may have already looked much different had the Bears hired someone Caleb didn't feel he could work with.
Many will say the Wickersham excerpt is a nonstory at this point because Eberflus and Waldron are no longer with the team. While that is true, it's primarily a nonstory because of Johnson. Removing a problem still requires finding a solution. Just because the Bears ousted Eberflus does not guarantee their next hire will fare better. Johnson, however, checks all of the boxes up to this point with his prior experience and early positive reviews.
Johnson does need to prove he is the solution on the field to fix the problems ailing this team, but the Bears needed to take the swing to land him. Even if the hire doesn't work out in the end, doing whatever it took to land one of the hottest offensive coordinators of the last 10 years is enough to help change the perception surrounding the team that the Bears cannot develop quarterbacks — a perception that has been reality for quite some time.
Caleb was ecstatic when Johnson was announced as the new head coach. This is who the Bears quarterback wanted, and the hiring likely reaffirmed his belief that he could get the job done in Chicago, as he said in Wickersham's upcoming book following his pre-draft visit.
It will take time to know for sure whether or not the Johnson hire was a success and if the pairing of him and Caleb will work. What has already been a success is the front office showing Caleb and Carl that times are changing with what they are willing to do to build a consistent winner. That started with Johnson. If not for taking that big swing, who knows what Carl and Caleb might have been working on as a potential exit strategy in just Year 2.
Follow Bears Wire on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears hiring Ben Johnson is even bigger after Caleb Williams' concerns
Continue reading...
