By Sunday 
When Ben Johnson left the Detroit Lions for his first head coaching job with the Chicago Bears, it probably felt like a long-overdue upgrade. A shiny $13 million salary, a franchise quarterback in Caleb Williams, and the chance to finally be the guy—not just the offensive genius behind the curtain.
But just one week into training camp, Johnson might be wondering if the Windy City wind blew in a little too strong.
From Playbook Poetry to Sideline Screaming
In Detroit, Johnson had Jared Goff—a quarterback who lives in his playbook, executes with surgical precision, and basically runs like an extension of the coaching staff. The offense was mature, disciplined, and “on the same page,” as highlighted in Netflix’s “Quarterback” docuseries.
In Chicago? Let’s just say it’s not quite that harmonious.
Reports from camp say rookie quarterback Caleb Williams has been struggling just to get the Bears offense lined up properly. And Johnson? He’s reportedly been yelling so much that tight end Cole Kmet admitted he couldn’t even understand him. Imagine trading in Jared Goff’s calm pre-snap reads for the chaos of shouting play calls into the void.
One reporter described a brutal red-zone drill: back-to-back interceptions from Williams. One tipped pass. One plain bad decision. Johnson’s sideline blood pressure must’ve been visible from the 300 level.
Caleb’s Talent vs. Caleb’s Clock
Now to be fair—Caleb Williams isn’t bad. He’s the 2022 Heisman winner and threw for over 3,500 yards in his rookie season despite being sacked a league-high 68 times. That’s… not normal. His talent is real.
But according to the Chicago Tribune, the issue isn’t his arm—it’s his clock. As in, the time he’s not spending in the playbook. Coaches are reportedly pushing him to understand that being an NFL quarterback means the work doesn’t end when he leaves the facility. It’s a maturity thing.
And that, my friends, is something Johnson never had to worry about in Detroit.
Meanwhile, Back in Motown…
While the Bears are praying for a playbook breakthrough, the Lions are cooking. Goff is back. The offensive core is stable. The team has Super Bowl-level expectations—and the confidence to match.
It’s a tale of two teams. One preparing for a title shot. The other just trying to get lined up right in practice.
Ben Johnson might still become a great head coach. Caleb Williams might still become a star. But right now, Johnson has gone from designing one of the NFL’s most dynamic offenses… to decoding one of its loudest rookies.