Caleb Williams just finished one of his most impressive camp practices, showing off accuracy and rapid reads even when the headset malfunctioned for him. And to top it off, the Bears won’t take their new star for a ride in the preseason opener against Miami, leaving fans waiting in anticipation of what’s coming next. So, believe me, the town is abuzz, and we are not even close to the big point of discussion yet.

Then picture this: a first-year quarterback in Chicago immediately following a record-sacking year for the city. Caleb Williams got sacked an eye-popping 68 times, largely due to unblocked defenders rushing him wide open. Largely due to an offensive line in the midst of major upheaval. The front office made some big moves, drafting new guards and an elite center to clean up that mess. There’s huge hype surrounding Williams this time around, with all the new faces stepping up to defend him. But amidst all this hype, something offbeat is reorienting the discussion.

Coach Ben Johnson is setting a tone way above football fundamentals. He describes Caleb Williams’ challenge like this: “I’ve told him this to a Navy SEAL where you go into a house. You kick down the door and within a split second, you got to decide, can I take this shot or not? Or is it friend or foe? It’s as quickly as that, so it’s no different for him. When he turns the back to the defense, when he flips back around, his eyes have to be in the right spot and it’s: is he open or not?” Johnson isn’t just throwing out metaphors. He’s building their offense around this mindset.

Johnson even added later on in another interview about Williams, “The challenge for a rookie is always making split-second decisions. We’re really stressing processing, processing, processing! I want him to live in those tight-window throws because that’s the reality at this level,” in the Bears Press Conference on YouTube. Caleb Williams is clearly buying in, responding after a tough day at camp while trying to keep up with Johnson’s expectations: “I take pride in trying to retain it all, every single detail that we have. I think that’s where I’ve been growing so far since Ben’s been here is retaining all of the information, all of it makes sense to me and being able to go out there and execute,” as Courtney Cronin reported via ESPN.

DJ Moore, the Bears’ star wide receiver and one of Caleb Williams’ go-to weapons, chimed in too on Johnson’s tactics when he was previously interviewed: “”It’s fun, but intense. A lot of hard work goes into it. You’ve got to be on your P’s and Q’s and you got to know the play playbook.” Moore’s importance to Williams can’t be overstated. This is because he’s the reliable target who can turn short throws into big plays, giving the rookie QB a safety net as he adjusts to the NFL.

So why the SEAL talk? Johnson turned installation drills and daily practices into a minefield for QB mistakes. Scrambling isn’t enough for Caleb Williams. He has to dominate in structure, internalize every playbook nuance, and toss out last year’s habits. His competitive streak sure helps, and as per reports, he’s been fiery during quick-trigger competitions, even as viral videos made it look rougher than it really was. But Johnson’s demands are specific: mechanics under fire, accountability on every snap, and eyes laser-locked onto the right read every single play.

Now, what’s making the Bears even more cautious is the rumblings about rookie QBs not quite translating college excellence to NFL stardom. Instead, Caleb Williams might have a similar fate to one of the former QBs in the Browns.

Caleb Williams’ unflattering comparison to former Browns QB

FS1’s Jason McIntyre isn’t pulling punches. He is legitimately drawing a straight-line comparison between Caleb Williams and the former Browns draft bust Johnny Manziel. As reported by Sporting News, McIntyre explained, “The Bears are treating Caleb Williams like a rookie, so he has to unlearn everything he learned last year.” He highlighted how tight NFL windows and defensive complexity can swallow up even super-hyped college stars, exactly what happened to Manziel. “That’s what did in Johnny Football. The windows disappear, and every read is a race. If Caleb doesn’t make that leap, he could fall into the same trap.”

What is so worrying about all this? Firstly, many videos have resurfaced where it shows that show Caleb Williams struggling in the training camp, especially with the accurate passes. This is the main reason McIntyre is not very impressed with Williams. Jason believes Caleb might be falling into the same hole as Manziel’s time in Cleveland. The comparison is tough for any rookie, but it echoes the reason Chicago’s being so aggressive with their approach. Give the new guy every tool and every tough drill, so he doesn’t fall into the same hole.

Johnson’s SEAL-level demands are making Caleb Williams unlearn old tricks and adapt to NFL speed. And now, McIntyre’s words serve as a warning from the Bears’ past and football history in general. Now, is it a clear warning about Manziel déjà vu, or is it a “tough love” coaching revolution?