Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
Jul 31, 2026; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson talks to quarterback Caleb Williams (18) during Training Camp at Halas Hall.
The Chicago Bears returned to the top of the NFC North a year ago in their first season under head coach Ben Johnson after finishing at the bottom in the three seasons prior.
But after losing in the divisional round of the playoffs to the Los Angeles Rams, Johnson has much bigger goals for the 2026 season, and he’ll need star quarterback Caleb Williams to take another step in his development if the Bears are to achieve them.
Johnson laid down the gauntlet to both Williams and the entirety of the Chicago offense in a piece published by The Athletic on Wednesday.
Ben Johnson Wants Caleb Williams To Lead The Bears Offense To A Historic Season
While some coaches may take a step-by-step approach, hoping to build on the successes of the previous season. Johnson is hoping for his team to take a big leap this year.
“You’ve got 31 other teams coming to training camp saying, ‘Our goal is to win the Super Bowl,’” he said. “I want more than that. I want to have the highest-scoring offense ever, which happens to be the 2013 Denver Broncos. I know how many points per game they scored (37.9), and I want to surpass them. I want shutouts. I want blowouts.”
Johnson then asked which team holds the NFL record for consecutive victories, which is the New England Patriots with 21 straight from 2003 to 2004. That’s small potatoes for the second-year coach.
“Why can’t we do that?” he says. “There has never been an undefeated season (since teams have been playing more than 14 regular-season games). The moon is the Super Bowl, but we’re shooting beyond that, for the stars. And I want these players to feel that each and every single day they come in.”
He Believes Caleb Williams Has Another Level In Him!
If that’s going to happen, Williams will be integral to doing so. After a disastrous rookie season, he improved dramatically in his sophomore campaign, throwing for 3,942 yards, 27 touchdowns, and just seven interceptions under the offensive-minded Johnson.
However, his completion percentage was still just 58.8 percent, and Williams’ accuracy issues were a major contributor to Chicago’s playoff exit.
Still, Johnson has plenty of faith in his signal-caller, who was the top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
“He sees it like a challenge, like he’s going to be ready for the opportunity — that’s what’s really cool about him,” Johnson says. “But then there are some things that you really have to stay on him about, drill it 100 times.”
If Johnson gets his way, then we’ll likely be talking about the Chicago Bears as Super Bowl contenders come playoff time.