Ben Johnson’s ability to unlock his new QB’s potential was a recent topic on NBC Sports’ Pro Football Talk
The NFL offseason brings conversation of new expectations as each milestone is passed. The recent completion of the NFL Draft is no exception. Much was made of the contrasts between this year’s relatively lackluster QB class and last year’s star-studded class, which featured eventual Offensive Rookie of the Year winner Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, and, of course, the Chicago Bears’ number one overall pick: Caleb Williams.
The conversation about the six quarterbacks selected in the first round of last year’s draft continued this past weekend on Mike Florio’s Pro Football Talk, and Florio asked guest Michael Holley which of the five who played last season (J.J. McCarthy missed the season with an injury) was most likely to make the biggest improvement in year 2:
Holley starts his answer by explaining all of the reasons we bought into the Bears’ expectations last season. While I think the Shane Waldron “hype” was really more “hope,” I do think most Bears fans reached a point in the last few months of accepting that a lot of unproven hype surrounded the team and Caleb Williams entering last season. With that in mind, many (like myself) are probably keener to adopt an “I’ll believe when I see it” mentality this year, amongst another year of offseason enthusiasm. And yet…
The logic is there. They’ve got the new head coach, and this time it’s an offensive-minded one WITH a proven track record at a high-level. They made a concerted effort to improve the offensive line with the additions of Joe Thuney, Drew Dalman, Jonah Jackson, and Ozzy Trapilo. Williams’ war chest is somehow even more filled with weaponry than last season after drafting Colston Loveland and Luther Burden III.
So, is it fair to expect a significant jump from Caleb Williams in his second season? It’ll be up to every fan to decide that one at their own risk. “You know what they say, ‘fool me once, strike one, but fool me twice… strike three.’”