Caleb Williams Felt Ben Johnson Didn't Like Him, 'Relationship Was Pretty Fra-Gee-Lay'

The relationship between Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams and first-year head coach Ben Johnson evolved over the 2025 season, but from the signal-caller's perspective, things started out icy.

"At certain parts, it felt like our relationship was pretty fra-gee-lay [fragile], from my perspective," Williams told ESPN's Courtney Cronin. "It was like, gee, this dude, doesn't seem like he likes me."

The Bears are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2020 after finishing the 2025 season with an 11-6 record and winning their first NFC North title since 2018. Johnson instituted a swift turnaround from Chicago's 5-12 finish in Williams' rookie season.

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Cronin reported that following the firing of former Bears head coach Matt Eberflus, Williams "wanted to be held accountable and coached hard." Johnson made it clear early on that things were changing under his regime, as he chewed out Williams in a practice over the summer for waving off his play calls.

"He lit a fuse into the mic," Williams said.

After a 0-2 start to the season, it looked as if Williams wasn't progressing under Johnson's tutelage, but a four-game win streak created positive vibes in Chicago that have lasted throughout the year. Now, the Bears will have the chance to earn their first playoff win since 2011 when they face the division rival Green Bay Packers in the NFC Wild Card Round on Saturday.

"We know that he loves us as people, us as humans, and he loves us as players," Williams said of Johnson. "But he also loves to win. He likes things the way that he likes things to be done. And we understand that, and everybody wants to go out there and win and play for him. And I think we've shown that so far."