Caleb Williams 'Locked In' But Ben Johnson Explains 'Challenge' Ahead of Bears' Season

Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson praised Caleb Williams following his performance during the team's 38-0 preseason win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, but acknowledged that the quarterback still has some room to grow.

"He's really been locked in," Johnson said, according to ESPN's Courtney Cronin. "Anytime you're a young player, there's usually a couple of steps forward and one step back. And that's really been the story of this training camp. He and I have been really open and honest about it as we've gone through. And he's had some really good practices, and he's had a couple where, it's not good enough."

"I thought really the three days of practice we had this week and this game were the most he's stacked up good days in a row right now," he added. "The challenge is going to be keep pushing that direction."

Williams echoed a similar sentiment when speaking to reporters after Sunday's victory.

"I think I had a couple of those practices throughout training camp where I feel like I took two steps forward," Williams said, per Cronin. "Maybe a bad practice or small things that I feel like I got over and then I took a step back. So, it's just being able to keep that mindset. The growth mindset, the idea that it's an understanding of that -- keep growing and keep after it and keep leading these guys."

The second-year passer was on the field for two possessions against the Bills, finishing 6-of-10 for 107 yards and one touchdown without getting sacked or tossing an interception.

Williams helped lead Chicago on a seven-play, 92-yard drive that ended with a touchdown to open the game.

The performance was another encouraging sign for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, who completed nine of his 10 pass attempts against Buffalo's first-team defense in Friday's joint practice (h/t Cronin).

Williams showed promise as a rookie but also displayed opportunities for improvement, completing 62.5 percent of his throws for 3,541 yards and 20 touchdowns compared to six interceptions. He was also sacked a league-leading 68 times.

The Bears will be hoping that the hiring of Johnson can help Williams take a sophomore leap, as the coach is coming off a tenure as the Detroit Lions' offensive coordinator that ended with the team pacing the NFL in scoring offense last season.

While Williams' status for Chicago's preseason finale is uncertain, he'll look to stay sharp in Week 1 against the Minnesota Vikings on Sept. 8.