Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson has not been known to go easy on Caleb Williams. He has pushed him from the start of their tenure together through the second season, where Johnson has outlined exactly where he expects Williams to improve.
Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson trusts Caleb Williams to grow this offseason
However, while Johnson is tough on him, it does not mean he is not high on what he can bring to the team. Johnson shone some praise on Williams by saying that he is not a ‘rep guy.’ This means that he is someone who can hear something and apply it. He does not need to run the play multiple times on the field before his brain understands the change he needs to make.
Ben Johnson talks about how fast Caleb Williams is at processing information and how he's not much of a "rep guy". pic.twitter.com/c8BOIB4C5p
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“He is not what I would call a rep guy,” said Johnson. “I think that you tell him something and then he sees it on tape, and he carries it over to whether it is practice or the game.”
This is a valuable skill, especially in the NFL. Coaches only get a limited amount of practice time, and quarterbacks have even fewer chances to work on certain situations. That is why Johnson's comment stands out. The quicker Williams can process coaching points and apply them, the quicker the offense can move on to the next step in his development.
Some players simply need the reps or the experience on the field to thrive. It might feel weird, or it might look easier to do in their head, but when they try it on the field, it takes time and work. That is what players stay after practice to work on.
The fact that Williams can see something, hear what he has to do, and simply do it will save the Bears time in practice and save Williams time in his development. While others are working on fine-tuning skills, Williams can put in the extra time to take his game to the next level.
It will be interesting to watch Williams this year, as he takes in what Johnson and the coaching staff told him this offseason. You could see clear changes in the way that he played from his rookie year through his second year. Now, he is going from his first year with Johnson to the second, and the impact is expected to be even greater.
Johnson is looking for Williams to get the ball out quicker, take the easier plays, and find rhythm more naturally. Do we see that immediately, or does it take time?
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