Will Ben Johnson’s creativity maximize Caleb Williams’ skill set?

Chicago Bears fans were understandably hyped when they landed a true franchise quarterback in Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick in last year’s NFL Draft.

But thanks to a subpar coaching staff that didn’t put him in the best position to utilize his rare talent, Williams struggled through a roller-coaster rookie season, with flashes of his lofty potential sandwiched between long stretches of frustration and stagnant offensive production.

That shouldn’t be a problem now, as Williams now gets to work with one of the best offensive minds in the entire NFL in new head coach Ben Johnson, who transformed the Detroit Lions into one of the most explosive offensive attacks in the league.

Things looked fairly vanilla for the Bears offense in the preseason, but now that the regular season is set to kick off for Chicago on Monday night against the Minnesota Vikings, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler expects the fun to finally begin for Williams in Johnson’s creative scheme:

Now that we’re past the preseason, watch for the Bears to flash some creativity to maximize quarterback Caleb Williams. My sense from people in Chicago is that while head coach Ben Johnson would coach Williams relentlessly on the basics throughout camp, they would eventually play to Williams’ strengths, utilizing his mobility and off-platform throwing as an off-script playmaker. Bears fans could see more of that in the regular season.

That’s music to the ears of Bears fans everywhere, especially after watching their last first-round quarterback (Justin Fields) get squandered by a lackluster coaching staff and supporting cast.

Speaking of the supporting cast, that should be much improved for Williams and the Bears this season, as well. The interior of the offensive line was completely rebuilt with experienced veterans this offseason (Joe Thuney, Jonah Jackson, Drew Dalman), and a pass-catching group that already boasted the likes of D.J. Moore and Rome Oduze added two blue-chip prospects in this year’s draft, top-10 tight end Colston Loveland and second-round wide receiver Luther Burden III.

Now that all these planets have aligned, and the exhibition games are in the rearview mirror, expect Johnson to take off the training wheels and open up the offense, taking full advantage of Williams’ rare skill set, and the wealth of talent around him.