Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams saw his numbers jump in his second year after Ben Johnson joined as head coach. Heading into his third season, Johnson is raising the bar even higher for both his QB and the offense. But with expectations soaring, a former head coach feels these expectations are too much for the young signal-caller.

“The head coach says, we’re going to be the greatest offense that’s ever played. We’re going to score the most points that’s ever played. We’re gonna have blowouts; we’re gonna have shutouts. So now he’s upping the expectations and the pressure on Caleb. And, and I don’t think that’s necessarily a positive way to go. And it could hurt him,” former Cleveland Browns head coach Eric Mangini said on First Things First.

Williams was drafted first overall by the Bears and is one of those quarterbacks who immediately became a full-time starter for the franchise. However, the 2024 NFL season did not go as planned. Chicago finished 5-12 after then-head coach Matt Eberflus was fired midseason.

Last year, the Bears decided to change course and brought in Johnson to lead the team. Under the current head coach, Chicago finished 11-6, marking its first winning season since 2018. The team also reached the playoffs, ending a four-year postseason drought.

For Williams, the numbers jumped as well: His passing yards rose from 3,541 in 2024 to almost 4,000 in 2025. His total touchdowns increased from 20 to 30, and he went from being sacked a league-high 68 times in his rookie year to just 24 last season.

However, Mangini fears the extra pressure on the young QB could derail his potential. This concern stems from Johnson’s ambitious goals. Because Johnson isn’t dreaming about the Super Bowl. Rather, he wants the offense that ranked ninth in the league last year to become number one in scoring history.

“You’ve got 31 other teams coming to training camp saying, ‘Our goal is to win the Super Bowl,’” Johnson said, per The Athletic. “I want more than that. I want to have the highest-scoring offense ever, which happens to be the 2013 Denver Broncos. I know how many points per game they scored (37.9), and I want to surpass them. I want shutouts. I want blowouts.”

According to Johnson, Williams is ready for the grind this year, especially after his completion percentage declined from 62.5% to 58.1%. The head coach sees this dip not as a setback but as fuel for improvement.

“He sees it like a challenge, like he’s going to be ready for the opportunity — that’s what’s really cool about him,” Johnson said. “But then there are some things that you really have to stay on him about, drill it 100 times.”

No matter how Williams understands what he needs to do, the important point is that a playoff and Super Bowl season is an obvious goal for teams when a fresh season starts. Well, not for the Browns or New York Jets, but just look at the Dallas Cowboys. Their high expectations are practically a kickoff tradition.

But Johnson is aiming for a historic season. He wants a campaign like the New England Patriots, who won 21 straight games from 2003 to 2004.

“Why can’t we do that?” Johnson added. “There has never been an undefeated season (since teams have been playing more than 14 regular-season games). The moon is the Super Bowl, but we’re shooting beyond that, for the stars. And I want these players to feel that each and every single day they come in.”

Training camp reports have assured Bears fans that Williams is looking like a different quarterback. According to NFL insider Jay Glazer, Iceman looks “light years ahead” from last season. If that form carries into the regular season, Chicago may have the firepower to match Johnson’s vision.