The Chicago Bears are emerging as a team to watch in the 2025 NFL season, following significant moves to strengthen their offense. General manager Ryan Poles has bolstered the team’s offensive line by adding starters Joe Thuney, Drew Dalman, and Jonah Jackson. Additionally, the Bears drafted wide receivers Luther Burden III and Colston Loveland to enhance their playmaking abilities. Most notably, the team hired offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, one of the league’s most sought-after minds, to help improve the development of quarterback Caleb Williams.
Williams Aims to Build on Rookie Season Success
Although the Bears finished with just five wins in 2024, Williams demonstrated promising potential as a rookie. The USC product became one of only four rookies in NFL history to surpass 4,000 yards of total offense while throwing fewer than 10 interceptions. He also became the first Bears quarterback to start every game in a season since Jay Cutler in 2009. Despite these achievements, expectations remain high in Chicago for greater team success.
Williams Details Clear Personal Goals for 2025
Speaking on Tuesday with reporters, Williams outlined two main objectives he plans to accomplish next season.
Obviously I have self goals, and that’s being the first 4,000-yard passer in Bears history,
Williams said, via Fox 32 Sports.
That’s a goal of mine, 70% completion helps the team, keeps us on the field, puts us in better positions, and then other than that just trying to go down and score the most points that we can with each drive that we have.
Williams’ targets center on becoming the first Bears quarterback to throw for 4,000 yards in a single season and achieving a 70% completion rate, which would significantly aid the team’s offensive efficiency. During his rookie campaign, Williams completed 62.5% of his passes, amassed 3,541 yards, threw 20 touchdowns, and was intercepted six times.
Record-Breaking Passing Feats Are Rare in the League
Only six quarterbacks reached the 4,000-yard passing mark in 2024, and just four—Jared Goff, Baker Mayfield, Joe Burrow, and Geno Smith—combined that yardage with a completion percentage of 70 or higher. Achieving these milestones would place Williams in elite company and mark a historic moment for the Bears franchise, which has never had a 4,000-yard passer.
Offensive Line Improvements Crucial to Williams’ Success
Protection remains a top priority for the Bears as they seek to help Williams reach his goals. In 2024, Williams was sacked an NFL-high 68 times, a figure that ties for the third-most sacks taken in a single season across the league’s history. While some of these were due to Williams’ own decision-making, it was evident that he struggled to find comfort within Shane Waldron’s offensive system. The Bears’ considerable investment in strengthening the offensive front this offseason signals their commitment to keeping Williams upright and effective.
Utilizing the Running Game to Enhance Pass Success
Integrating a strong running game to set up play-action passes will also play an important role for Williams. He showed early success using play action during his rookie year, and the numbers support this strategy as a means to maximize his performance.
Ben Johnson’s Impact Expected to Elevate Offensive Production
Jared Goff, one of the quarterbacks who achieved both a 4,000-yard passing total and a 70% completion rate last season, accomplished this under Ben Johnson’s direction with the Detroit Lions. Johnson’s offense led the league by averaging 33.2 points per game and 409.5 yards of total offense. His arrival in Chicago presents an opportunity to develop Williams into one of the NFL’s top quarterbacks while significantly increasing the Bears’ offensive output.
Outlook for the 2025 Season
Caleb Williams enters 2025 with clear, measurable targets and the necessary team improvements to support them. With stronger protection along the offensive line, added receiving weapons, and strategic guidance from Ben Johnson, Williams is poised to challenge Bears’ records and lift the team above last year’s disappointing five-win mark. How well Williams executes on these ambitions will likely shape the Bears’ fortunes moving forward in a highly competitive NFL landscape.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. Is Caleb Williams autosexual?
A. Caleb Williams has revealed that he identifies as “autosexual.” Autosexuality means being primarily attracted to oneself in a sexual way.
Q. What happened to Caleb Williams?
A. On January 3, 2022, Williams decided to enter the transfer portal. By February 1, he shared he was moving to the University of Southern California. He would play for the Trojans and join head coach Lincoln Riley. Riley was previously the head coach at the Sooners before taking the job with the Trojans.
Q. Why does Caleb Williams wear #18?
A. Caleb Williams talked about wearing number 18, explaining that he wore it during high school and won a championship with it. He mentioned that Keenan Allen, a 13-year veteran and Hall of Famer, already had the number. Realizing this, Caleb decided to choose a different number after asking about it.
Q. Why did Caleb Williams cry after the game?
A. “I was sitting there feeling exhausted and defeated,” Williams remembered. “But then I got up, hugged my mom, and broke down crying.” Williams explained that these tears weren’t about being weak, but showed how much he cared about the game.