“Imperative” key to success for Ben Johnson, Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears revealed

The Chicago Bears have a lot riding on the upcoming 2025 NFL season.

Not only do the Bears need to hit the ground running with new head coach Ben Johnson at the helm of an offense largely in a state of transition, but quarterback Caleb Williams has to show signs of development on the heels of a season in which he absorbed 68 sacks. All playing out with the backdrop of an offensive line in transition, and within a division that sent three teams to the playoffs last season.

However, the marriage between Johnson and Williams getting off to a smooth start matters above all else for the Bears, according to CBS Sports NFL analyst Cody Benjamin.

“Can Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson work in tandem?” Benjamin wonders for CBS. “The Bears have undeniably fortified their young quarterback’s supporting cast, beefing up the O-line with vets like Joe Thuney and adding dynamism to a youthful pass-catching corps. We might be overlooking that Williams still has a new coach; it’s imperative they mesh schematically to maximize the Windy City’s tantalizing talent.”

The past two seasons have brought unbridled preseason optimism for the Bears. Last spring it was Williams’ arrival as a potential generational talent combined with Rome Odunze joining rounding out what promised to be an electrifying receiving corps. This year, of course, it is Johnson’s influence over the offense combined with a revamped offensive line and rookie pass catchers Colston Loveland and Luther Burden III rounding out the weapons around Williams.

However, offensive lines take time to develop cohesion, and targets time to build chemistry with quarterbacks, and all of this is playing out as Williams and Johnson are figuring out how to implement a system that works best for the second-year quarterback with sky-high potential.

Chicago has a lot of the pieces to make a run at the postseason thanks to the improvements made this offseason, but it might take time for so many new pieces of the puzzle to come together, especially when it comes to Johnson and Williams, who are critical to the Bears making major strides this fall.

Chicago Bears’ rookie deemed ‘sleeper’ of this year’s draft class

While dropping Burden III into Williams’ supporting cast has been heralded as a major win for general manager Ryan Poles and the Bears in the second round of this spring’s NFL Draft, it might be another of Chicago’s picks who provides even more significant value.

“The sleeper in the bunch is that (Ozzy) Trapilo kid,” an anonymous NFL Executive tells The Athletic’s Mike Sando. “In the second round. Eventually, I think he will be their right tackle.”

The Bears chose Trapilo with the No. 56 overall draft pick, and he could have the potential to push for a starting job as a rookie.

At 6-foot-8 and 309 pounds, the former Boston College standout allowed just two sacks last season, according to Pro Football Focus, while garnering an elite 80.5 pass-blocking grade. After bolstering the interior of the line by adding Jonah Jackson, Joe Thuney, and Drew Dalman within the span of a week leading into free agency getting underway, drafting Trapilo represents a move with one eye on the line in 2025 and another trained on a potential anchor for years to come.