Caleb Williams’ sophomore season was the one we’d been dreaming about.

No, it wasn’t perfect and we’ll get to that in a bit.

But for a fanbase that has long coveted a team that could win games because of its quarterback (and not despite), Williams delivered in a big way.

Partnered with Ben Johnson for the first time, Williams threw for a franchise-record 3,942 yards while throwing 27 touchdowns and only seven interceptions. He engineered seven fourth-quarter comebacks, the most in Bears history, and put together a highlight reel that ultimately landed him on the cover of Madden.

How did it happen? His partnership with Johnson started slow, but paid increasing dividends as the season progressed and Williams began to feel more comfortable.

There was also the highly-improved offensive line that cut Williams’ sacks from 68 to 24 in just one year and opened up the running game behind D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai.

As mentioned before, there were flaws. Williams’ completion rate of 58.1 percent ranked 43rd among qualified quarterbacks and a drop from 62.1 the previous year.

And while Williams routinely turned it on in the second half, the offense’s consistency in the first half left much to be desired.

Still, Williams’ talent and clutch factor in 2025 made him one of the most talked-about players in the league and left us with highlights and wins we’ll talk about forever.

It may have also created a new set of dreams going forward.

If you need just one reason to be really excited about Caleb Williams in 2026, look no further than the evolution of his relationship with Johnson.

Williams said his first training camp with Johnson in 2025 often left him feeling like he was drowning because of the level of difficulty that was being asked of him.

Those feelings of unfamiliarity showed, too, as training camp was a jumble of missed snap counts, poorly-timed overthrows and even huddles that weren’t cleanly broken.

A year later, Williams said he and Johnson are at the point where they can finish each other’s sentences … a scary thought for any coach or defensive coordinator in the NFC North.

"It's a hell of a lot more fun for me than it was last year’s camp,” Williams said during minicamp in June. “This year, it's being able to start where we finished last year. Play calls and words and verbiage, and speak the same language. And now it's being able to grow more from an earlier stage."

What will the added time and familiarity produce?

Johnson and Bears coaches have made a point this offseason to say they expect more consistency from Williams. While most Bears fans are zeroing in on Williams becoming the first 4,000-yard passer in franchise history, Johnson covets the 70 percent completion rate with a similar hunger.

Williams has a ways to get there, but also “a way” to get there. The offensive coaching staff has been working with Williams to take the easier throws when available in hopes that doing so will eliminate the need for hero ball bailouts later in the game.

The good news for fans is that their wishes for a 4,000-yard season (and much more) will almost certainly come true if Williams meets Johnson’s areas of improvement.

Williams has his own big goals for 2026 and even went as far to name them individually during minicamp. Among them: Increasing his completion percentage, keeping the offense on the field more, maintaining his low turnover rate and … are you ready for it? … becoming the highest-scoring offense in the league.

The United States has fought and won a World War since a Bears team achieved that feat (1941), but credit Williams for aiming him.

After a breakthrough 2025, he sees what’s possible in his relationship with Johnson.

“There’s so much to unlock, there’s so much to get better at” Williams said. “There’s so much left of ball for me and us.”

Read More Previews Rome Odunze • Kyle Monangai • Cole Kmet • Colston Loveland • D’Andre Swift • Full Preview Archive