Even over two decades after his final NFL snap, Dallas Cowboys legend Emmitt Smith still has plenty to say about coaching. Smith recently watched the Chicago Bears vs Detroit Lions Week 18 matchup and shared some insights on coaching in an Instagram reel. But while discussing the development of Chicago’s quarterback Caleb Williams, Smith subtly reignited an old frustration with a former Cowboys coach. 

“I’m sitting here watching this Bears game, and I’m looking at Caleb Williams and his development,” said Emmitt Smith in his recent Instagram reel. “It’s an amazing thing, Troy [Aikman] even mentioned this a couple of days ago, I saw on TikTok about great coaches – how they put you in a position to be successful.

“When I look at what Caleb Williams is going through and what he has gone through, what he’s developing into, it’s a great sign of the coaching staff that’s around him that believes in this young man and giving him every opportunity to be successful, unlike some other coaches who try to make players fit into their system, especially offensive coordinators.” 

Emmitt Smith pointed out how great coaches adapt to players, not the other way around. But Smith’s comments now also sound like criticism aimed at former Cowboys offensive coordinator David Shula. Cowboys fans might remember Emmitt Smith’s rocky start in 1990. Back then, Shula struggled to integrate Smith into the offense just weeks before the season. Then, the Cowboys also had two straight games without a touchdown – a franchise low at the time.

Players like former Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman and Smith weren’t happy with Shula. The criticism of the Cowboys’ offense had also bothered Jimmy Johnson, who was the Cowboys’ head coach at the time. Johnson eventually made the call to fire Shula after the season and hired Norv Turner. Turner promised Smith more catches and delivered. The very next season, Smith exploded for more than 1,700 rushing yards.

So, while Emmitt Smith now did not name Shula outright, the message felt clear. Smith suggested that offensive coordinators, in particular, try too hard to mold young players into their own schemes. And when that happens, talent suffers as Smith did in 1990.

“When you have great players, you have very talented individuals; your job is not to shape them into something that you want them to be,” Smith said. “Your job is to put them in a position so they can be successful, and that’s why you see this kid [Williams] playing the way he is and everyone else around him playing the way they are.”

Good coaching is exactly why Emmitt Smith sees Chicago as a success story. In just one season, the Bears flipped from 5-12 and last in the NFC North to 11-6 and the NFC North division champions. Hiring Ben Johnson as the head coach has clearly paid off for Chicago this season. 

Emmitt Smith praises the coaching staff for Caleb Williams’ development

Ben Johnson arrived in Chicago this season with a plan to develop Caleb Williams into a franchise QB, and it worked. While the second-year QB now plays with confidence, his trust in Johnson shows up when games get tight. So, Emmitt Smith now even noted how things didn’t work out that way for QB Justin Fields in Chicago. Fields failed to develop into the definitive franchise QB the Bears needed, so he was traded in 2024. But Smith believes coaching made the difference now in Chicago.

“Didn’t happen for Justin Fields in Chicago,” Smith said in his recent Instagram reel. “It almost didn’t happen for him [Williams]. Good thing that Chicago has made the differences and the changes that they made in the offensive system and coaching staff because I’ll tell you what they’re doing right now is the reason why this young man is successful, and you see him growing, and it’s the same way in colleges.” 

Take the Bears’ Week 16 game against the Green Bay Packers as an example. Williams recorded 250 yards and two touchdowns in the game, but it did not start that smoothly. The Bears’ offense struggled early and could not score a touchdown until the fourth quarter of the game. Still, Johnson drew up the right plays when it mattered most, and Williams believed in him. That belief changed the outcome of the game as the Bears won 22-16.

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So, Emmitt Smith also pushed back on how fans praise creative coaches. According to Smith, channeling creativity into young players matters more, and that’s what he has seen in Chicago this season.

“Stop giving these offensive coordinators and these head coaches kudos for being creative and all that creativity,” Smith said. “Anybody can be creative, but very few people can channel that creativity into what a young man can really do and how he can help his team become better in the development of their young person, and that’s what I’m seeing right now out of Chicago.” 

Even Bears legend Mike Singletary has been impressed by Caleb Williams’ performance this season. Moreover, Emmitt Smith did not just stop with Williams. He also highlighted the development of Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix as another young player thriving with the right coaching. Smith noted that people were doubting Nix, but now he’s turning heads in the playoff race. So, Smith’s final message was simple: believe in young players and give them the right tools to be successful.