Bears task Caleb Williams with improving body language, minimizing 'triggers' after tumultuous rookie year

Caleb Williams has never been one to hide his personality, but the Chicago Bears are asking their franchise quarterback this season to be more mindful of his body language. Putting on a brave face when adversity strikes is a hallmark of the quarterback position -- or for any leadership role for that matter -- and the Bears identified that as an area in which Williams can improve upon his rookie year.

Williams has long been scrutinized for his tendency to wear his heart on his sleeve. That dates back to his college career when he made waves for his response to USC's emotional loss to Washington, after which TV cameras spotted him crying as his mother consoled him in the stands.

"It's like, do we really want to ... is this what we want to look like or not?" Bears coach Ben Johnson said of Williams' body language, per ESPN. "We come to an agreement, no it's not. OK, we learn from it, we move on to the next thing. We don't want to be a 'palms-up team' where we're questioning everything. No, no, no; to me that's a little bit of a sign of weakness. We don't want to [see] that from anybody on the team."

There were plenty of moments last year when the NFL tested Williams' mettle. He took a league-high 68 sacks in an up-and-down rookie campaign and went just 5-12 as a first-year starter. The former No. 1 overall pick battled the turnover bug right out of the gate with two interceptions in his second and third games.

"It's not something you flip a switch and then it's gone," said Bears general manager Ryan Poles. "There's going to be those moments and there's going to be different triggers and ... as he grows, it's going to get better and better. But I think you still want your quarterback to have a sense of fire. There's a time and a place for showing your frustrations or showing your excitement on the other side of that, too. I think it is part of the progression."

Williams had plenty of bright spots in 2024, though, which displayed his upside as a potential long-term solution to the Bears' seemingly never-ending carousel at the quarterback spot. He set an early career high with four touchdowns on 23 of 29 passing in a stellar Week 6 outing against the Jaguars and was much more effective down the stretch with 11 touchdowns to just one interception from Week 12 onward.

A second-year leap could be in store for Williams, not only because of his growing experience but also because of the Bears' new offensive system. Johnson fielded some of the best offenses in the NFL during his run as a coordinator with the Lions, and he will call plays in Chicago with a chance to elevate a unit that ranked dead last in the NFL last season in total yards.