Latest news with #BenJohnson
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ben Johnson's Caleb Williams Admission Should Scare Rest Of NFL
Ben Johnson's Caleb Williams Admission Should Scare Rest Of NFL originally appeared on The Spun. Just a few days removed from being fairly open about Caleb Williams' struggles, Bears head coach Ben Johnson says he's already seeing growth from his young QB. Over the weekend, Johnson spoke to reporters about how the former No. 1 pick is "playing a little bit slower than what he's capable of" as he continues to wrap his arms around the team's new offense. But the light is turning on, Chicago's head man says, as the organization gets deeper into training camp. "I probably just see growth," Johnson said Tuesday, via Bears insider Adam Hoge. "He is so much more comfortable right now. Even yesterday — the walk-through — in terms of moving around. We go from gun, to under [center], to the tight ends are moving, the receivers are moving. We're adding more every day." "I told him this on the player day off: his process is really clean right now. I'm talking about how he's preparing. I'm really pleased with it," the coach shared. "He's doing the work behind the scenes that no one else is seeing, and we're starting to see the dividends being paid from it." Johnson has always been pretty clear about Williams' successes and failures since taking the job and it seems like it's only a matter of time before the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner has a full grasp of the coach's system. Caleb admittedly had an up-and-down season in Year 1, but there were certainly things you could point to to keep Bears fans' hopes alive. A lot of that has to with the hiring of Johnson, a revamped offensive line and a stable cast of surrounding weapons. But Williams' maturation as a quarterback is just as important as he finds out what does and doesn't work in the National Football League. 2024 was the first time Caleb has really dealt with any sort of failure as a quarterback — going 5-12 as a starter with 10 straight losses from Weeks 8 to 17. Now it's on him to show why he deserved to go first overall over the likes of Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye and Bo Nix — and he just may do Johnson's Caleb Williams Admission Should Scare Rest Of NFL first appeared on The Spun on Jul 29, 2025 This story was originally reported by The Spun on Jul 29, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bears training camp observations: Chicago brings physicality on Day 6
The Chicago Bears were back on the practice field at Halas Hall on Tuesday morning for the sixth practice of training camp -- and their second in pads this summer. The Bears had their most physical day of practice under head coach Ben Johnson, according to Greg Braggs, which included live tackling for the first time in camp this summer. While the offense had a nice day -- including quarterback Caleb Williams' best day so far -- the defense had a strong finish with a dominant performance during the two-minute drill, which had defensive end Montez Sweat all fired up. As far as attendance goes, rookie wide receiver Luther Burden III practiced for the first time during the team period. Center Doug Kramer and Tanoh Kpassagnon were back at practice. Meanwhile, rookie defensive tackle Shemar Turner (ankle) and rookie cornerback Zah Frazier (personal) remain sidelined. Here are some observations, from media members and fans in attendance, following Tuesday's training camp practice: Most physical day of training camp so far Caleb Williams had his best day of camp Offense started strong, defense closed strong But the defense might get the overall edge today Luther Burden participated in team drills, but he made some mental mistakes Bears finding ways to get DJ Moore in space Colston Loveland continues to impress Dennis Allen's defense bringing the heat this summer Caleb Williams-Rome Odunze connection continues to thrive Tysheem Johnson really brought the physicality Attendance report Follow Bears Wire on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears training camp observations: Chicago brings physicality on Day 6
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
NFL world reacts to shooting in Manhattan league office building
"There's a little bit more to life than just football." Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson was one of many members of the NFL world reacting to the mass shooting that occurred in New York City Monday night. The shooter killed four people and injured at least five others who were present in the Manhattan skyscraper that hosts the NFL league office. According to multiple reports, the gunman was attempting to target the NFL office when he entered the building but took the wrong elevator. One NFL employee was among those wounded in the shooting. A note found on the shooter's body mentioned chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, a degenerative brain disease linked to repeated head injuries such as concussions. Here's how those around the NFL community reacted to Monday night's tragedy: NFL world reacts to Manhattan shooting The aforementioned Johnson spoke about the shooting – and former Cubs second baseman Ryne Sandberg's death, which also happened Monday night – putting things in perspective. New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll reportedly began his press conference Tuesday morning offering his thoughts and prayers to those impacted by the shooting. New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn also shared his and the Jets organization's condolences for the families affected by the tragedy. Kyle Brandt reacts to NYC shooting NFL Network's "Good Morning Football" show also reacted to the New York shooting that wounded one of the show hosts' NFL colleagues at the Manhattan league office. Kyle Brandt is one of the daily hosts of "Good Morning Football," and he works out of the Manhattan studio. Here's what he had to say on Tuesday morning: "Heartbreaking news. Last evening, I started getting texts from people around the country asking me if I was OK, not understanding exactly where I work. I do not work in that building; I work significantly downtown, but I am devastated for everyone who does work in that building. "I also just want to say I think this is particularly heartbreaking news because at this company and in that building, this is a time of great excitement and joy, and this week represents hope and rebirth, and some of that was taken yesterday. It's horrible news, terribly sad to hear it, and we at 'Good Morning Football' deeply share our support for the victims' loved ones."
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
30 Most Important Bears of 2025: Caleb Williams (No. 2)
The Chicago Bears are gearing up for an exciting 2025 NFL season, which features some new faces within the organization poised to get the franchise back to its winning ways. That starts with the hiring of Ben Johnson as head coach, as well as overhauling the interior offensive line, adding pieces on defense and a potenital impactful rookie draft class. Every day from now right up through training camp, we're counting down our 30 Most Important Bears for the 2025 season. We'll recap their 2024 season, look ahead to 2025 and tackle the biggest question facing them this year. We're down to the final pair and at No. 2 is quarterback Caleb Williams, who needs to show he has what it takes to be the franchise quarterback under Ben Johnson. Background Position: Quarterback Age: 23 Experience: 2nd season 2025 cap hit: $8.9 million 2024 recap Arguably no rookie player had more hype coming into the league than Williams after he was selected No. 1 overall by the Bears. Armed with numerous weapons at the skill positions, a veteran coaching staff, and a talented defense, Williams seemed to be entering one of the more favorable situations a No. 1 overall pick had ever been in. That wasn't the case. Despite showing promise and guiding the Bears to a 4-2 start, the wheels fell off for the team in every possible way. The Bears fired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and then head coach Matt Eberflus while also dealing with injuries on the offensive line. The staff was a hindrance to Williams' development while he persevered as best he could. Williams played in all 17 games for the Bears, and while he set rookie records with over 3,500 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, and just six interceptions, he also was sacked a league-high 68 times. Williams made magical plays on the move but also struggled with his deep passes and holding onto the ball too long. Year 1 was a mixed bag that still has many wondering what Williams' future holds. 2025 outlook On paper, the Bears did pretty much everything they could to put Williams in a situation that was more ideal than the one he came into a year ago. General manager Ryan Poles landed Ben Johnson, the offensive guru from the Detroit Lions who has been the hottest coaching candidate for the last two years. They then overhauled the offensive line with signings and trades, including landing All-Pro guard Joe Thuney. Finally, the Bears spent their first three draft picks on offensive players, including tight end Colston Loveland, wide receiver Luther Burden, and tackle Ozzy Trapilo. With a new scheme, a coach that has a history of getting the most out of the quarterback, and quality players at crucial positions, everything should be in place for Williams to take a leap in Year 2. Big question: Will Caleb Williams take the leap in Year 2? That's the question of the year for the Bears and their fans. It always comes down to the quarterback and whether or not he can be the transcendent signal caller that has eluded this franchise for years. While Williams has plenty to clean up going into this season, he set the bar higher than any other Bears rookie quarterback ever has. No quarterback in team history ever had a season with 3,500 passing yards, at least 20 touchdowns, and fewer than 10 interceptions before Williams. Add in that Johnson and his staff are working to break Williams of his bad habits and play within structure, and the stage is set for a leap forward in production. Just a few days into training camp, it's impossible to tell whether or not Williams will succeed. He has the tools and the resources to get there, though, and much of the Bears' success will hinge on his development. 30 Most Important Bears of 2025 #30 - RB Roschon Johnson #29 - QB Case Keenum #28 - K Cairo Santos #27 - DT Andrew Billings #26 - CB Tyrique Stevenson #25 - WR Luther Burden III #24 - RG Jonah Jackson #23 - LB Tremaine Edmunds #22 - DE Dayo Odeyingbo #21 - S Kevin Byard #20 - S Jaquan Brisker #19 - LB T.J. Edwards #18 - TE Cole Kmet #17 - DT Grady Jarrett #16 - DT Gervon Dexter #15 - RB D'Andre Swift #14 - TE Colston Loveland #13 - OT Ozzy Trapilo #12 - OT Braxton Jones #11 - WR DJ Moore #10 CB Kyler Gordon #9 - OT Darnell Wright #8 - DE Montez Sweat #7 - C Drew Dalman #6 - CB Jaylon Johnson #5 - WR Rome Odunze #4 - DC Dennis Allen #3 - LG Joe Thuney #2 - QB Caleb Williams #1 - Coming 7/29 This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 30 Most Important Bears of 2025: Caleb Williams (No. 2)
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Are Caleb Williams concerns real or overblown?
Yahoo Sports' Jason Fitz, senior NFL reporter Charles Robinson and senior NFL writer Frank Schwab discuss the reports of the second year quarterback being pulled from a training camp practice by new head coach Ben Johnson and whether the practice of counting interceptions or incompletions during training camp is a reliable measure of a signal caller's success at this point of the season. Hear the full conversation on 'Inside Coverage' - and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen. View more Video Transcript Alyssa Barbieri Bears, to quote, this is her tweet. The first day was littered with pre-snap issues, including the offense lining up incorrectly consecutive times during 7 on 7, which prompted head coach Ben Johnson to yell, You're out, and pull them out of the drill. The second day featured issues with false starts and bad snaps, with the 3rd day featuring back to back interceptions by Caleb Williams and the defense bringing the pressure. I was freaking out. I don't know. See, Rob, Ben Johnson came out and said, hey, we're rebuilding this whole thing from scratch, right? Like everything he knew last year doesn't matter. We're rebuilding it. How patient should everybody be looking at Bears' camp when you see this, these, these, I mean, you're the one that's out on all these training camps. Like, should we be freaking out about quarterbacks playing like dog poop in the middle of training camp? Well, first off, like, I remember J.J. Watt being on the Houston Texans roster when people were counting Brock Osweiler interceptions in, in training camp. And Bill O'Brien was freaking out on reporters, like lighting up reporters about counting interceptions in practice. Like, just went off, right? About how stupid it was, you know, this is the time to make mistakes and, you know, uh, this is meaningless right now, and you're killing this kid, he's gonna, he's not gonna have an opportunity to succeed. You're already undercutting him. And then Brock Osweiler was what he was when the regular season rolled out, and J.J. Watt was on that roster. So I, I don't, it's not the first time people have counted, um, you know, things that are going on in, in training camp. That's been going on for a long time now. You know, I'd argue, look, the last 20 years, if not longer, we paid a lot of attention to how people are performing in training camp. That said, I do get it, like this whole idea of like counting completions versus incompletions, but one thing that I do think is translatable is can you run the offense? Can you run it with speed? Can you spit out a play in the huddle? Um, are you taking too long? Like, uh, you know, the coaches, what they prize right now before I think you even get into the completions or incompletions of the decisions you make. Can you break the huddle in time to get a playoff? Can you get guys in the right play, um, at the snap? You have to have the fundamental foundation down first, and if you don't, that's gonna be a problem. And I remember, look, Sean Payton, watching Sean Payton go through that, um, you know, with, with Russell Wilson, you know, you know, coming through Broncos camp and, you know, him being frustrated at times like Bo Nicks being a rookie and, and needing to get some of those staple things down early on in training camp. Can it be overcome? Yeah, absolutely. And I would remind people what was Jared Goff's record, his first 11 games under Ben Johnson in Detroit. He was 0-10 and 1. OK. Like it didn't get off to a great start with Jared Goff in Detroit, um, and then when it rounded the corner, it rounded the corner in a really big way. I would say that Johnson runs, you know, a, a complicated offense. There's a lot of stuff that goes into this. There are a lot of different looks. There's a lot of different variations. Um, you know, Kayleb Williams is probably gonna be swimming a little bit, and that's just what you're gonna have to deal with right now. Do I think it's, um, reason for people to absolutely panic and go, Caleb's a bust, you know, uh, the, the worst version of him that we saw in, in, in 2024 is really ultimately what he's going to be. I don't think we're there yet. You know, but, uh, if this is something that continues on, uh, late into training camp, I would say, do you feel like maybe it's gonna be a little bit more of a roller coaster at the beginning for the Bears than maybe we initially thought? Sure, I can get with that. But Frank, you and I have seen over the years, we've seen players with roller coaster beginnings, and it flattens out and it turns a corner, and I would even argue. And I would ask you this, don't you think that's what you're gonna get from Ben Johnson? You're gonna get Kayleb Williams, who's gonna get pressed by a guy who expects perfection on an offense and just came from a situation in Detroit where he had a high-level veteran who could run everything he wanted. He could be asked to run different looks and, you know, Jared Goff is deep into his career as a veteran and could handle everything thrown at him. This is now the transition where Ben Johnson's dealing with a second-year player, and it might not be the case. Close
