Caleb Williams Says Bears HC Ben Johnson Has Been 'Tough on Me' and 'It's Been Great'

All eyes will be on Caleb Williams during his first game action under Ben Johnson when the Chicago Bears face the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, and the quarterback wants everyone to know he appreciates his new head coach's approach.

"He's been tough on me," Williams said Sunday during ESPN's SportsCenter. "He's been hard on me, and it's been great. Getting coached like that and being pushed, the whole team seeing me being pushed like that. He set the standard. It's our job to level out and be at that standard."

It's clear Williams appreciates the push from his new coach, which likely stands in stark contrast to his experience as a rookie under head coach Matt Eberflus and offensive coordinator Shane Waldron.

After all, details from the upcoming book American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback by Seth Wickersham (h/t ESPN) revealed Williams told his father he often had to watch film alone in his first NFL season.

"No one tells me what to watch," Williams told his father. "I just turn it on."

Eberflus and Waldron were each fired as Chicago struggled on the way to a 5-12 record.

Expectations are much higher for the Bears in 2025 since they hired Johnson after he helped turn the Detroit Lions into one of the best offenses in the league. Williams is also entering his second season and will be playing behind a revamped offensive line following the additions of Joe Thuney, Drew Dalman and Jonah Jackson.

Throw in a list of offensive weapons that includes DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III, Cole Kmet and Colston Loveland, and Bears fans are surely hoping for plenty to cheer about this season.

Williams' comments suggest Johnson is pushing for some of that immediate success, and Sunday will be the first chance to see if the approach is paying off after the quarterback and many of the team's starters did not play in the preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins.