Bears OTA takeaways: Why Johnson worked with Williams on body language
Ben Johnson doesn’t want the Bears to be a “palms-up team.”
That’s a message he’s sent to quarterback Caleb Williams and the rest of the players this spring as he sets his standard.
“Body language is a huge thing,” Johnson said after Wednesday’s OTA. “Demeanor. 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 exhibit that from anybody on the team.”
Sports Illustrated reported that Johnson had shown Williams clips from last season when the quarterback could’ve responded better to getting hit.
“There’s adversity that’s gonna hit every team every season,” Johnson said. “You don’t know when it’s gonna happen. We might lose a few games. We might have some turnovers.”
Williams had two Wednesday — linebacker Tremaine Edmunds picked him off in team drills, and safety Jaquan Brisker had an interception in seven-on-seven.
Practice is set up for players to bounce back quickly from those. They get right back in the huddle and go to the next play. It’s tougher in games, and Johnson clearly observed ways Williams reacted to a very tumultuous rookie season and wants it to look better.
“Early in the process, we sat down and watched some tape from a year ago, and we talked it through,” Johnson said. “It’s like … is this what we want to look like or not? We come to an agreement, no it’s not, OK, we learn from it, we move on to the next thing.”
Williams used his media availability to move on from the excerpt from ESPN’s Seth Wickersham’s upcoming book on quarterbacks, reiterating the most important takeaway — he ultimately decided he wanted to come to the Bears. He knew the challenge, and he embraced it. Now he has a new coach to help him get the franchise on the right track.
“I think y’all have been able to see it when (Johnson) gets up here, you get a little taste of how he is. He’s always laser-focused,” Williams said. “He encourages and he pushes you and challenges you to be at your best, as a team, offense, defense, special teams. Doesn’t matter position.
“Sharp. And he’s a guy that wants to win. … And to be honest, he’s consistent with it every day. … So far it’s been awesome, and I think everybody’s been enjoying it.”
Rookie on Caleb’s blindside
Last week, Kiran Amegadjie was the Bears’ starter at left tackle during their open practice inside the Walter Payton Center. This week, it was second-round pick Ozzy Trapilo. Darnell Wright was at right tackle.
“We’re moving guys around,” Johnson said. “We want to give everyone an opportunity, so, you know, Darnell, we feel pretty comfortable keeping him (on) the right side right now. So the left side until we get Braxton (Jones) back in the mix, it’s going to be a little bit of musical chairs.”
Jones, though, is weeks away from returning after his 2024 season ended with ankle surgery. It’s also notable that Wright has remained on the right side.
“We’re going to let the plan play out, which is keep him there for the time being and let these guys battle it out on the left side,” Johnson said. “And we can decide to change course whenever we need to.”
Attendance report
Linebacker T.J. Edwards and nickel corner Kyler Gordon weren’t on the field Wednesday. Johnson said the two veterans are working through soft-tissue injuries.
Rookie pass catchers Colston Loveland and Luther Burden, who are also working through injuries, were absent. Jones, cornerback Jaylon Johnson, guard/center Ryan Bates, cornerback Zah Frazier, safety Elijah Hicks, cornerback Terell Smith, running back Ian Wheeler and linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga also were not spotted.
Practice is voluntary, and Ben Johnson said he expects full attendance next week at the mandatory veteran minicamp.
Tez looking to bounce back
Defensive end Montez Sweat showed up to voluntary OTAs determined to bounce back from his down season last year.
“Coming off a disappointing year, I thought it was important to be here,” said Sweat, who had 5 1/2 sacks in 16 games last season for the Bears after making six in nine games after being acquired from the Washington Commanders during the 2023 season.
New defensive coordinator Dennis Allen is also changing the Bears’ scheme. So there’s plenty for Sweat and others to learn.
“He’s a very complex individual,” Sweat said. “He has a lot of fronts and schemes and things that he can attack the offense with. He’s a great guy, smart.”
The faces have changed in the Bears’ defensive line room with the team signing defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett in free agency and drafting defensive tackle Shemar Turner. But Sweat remains their best defender.
“You definitely use (last season) as motivation, knowing that you didn’t have as good of a year as you wanted to or could have,” Sweat said. “So it’s in the back of my mind, but I’m sincerely just moving forward, working on what’s next.”
The new vet in the QBs room
Quarterback Case Keenum thought about retiring after last season. He spent 2024 on injured reserve, but when the Bears called, he came to town and sat down with Johnson for what was supposed to be a 15-minute conversation.
“It felt like a couple of hours later. I’m like, ‘This is a special place,’” he said. “Watched Caleb from last year and was like, ‘Holy cow, this guy is really good and he’s got a chance to be a lot better.’ And it’s been great.”
Keenum is on his eighth NFL team, having entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2012 with the Texans. At 37, he’s the oldest player on the team — nearly a decade older than offensive coordinator Declan Doyle. He has also played in 80 games and has a playoff win on his resume.
Despite all that experience, he had never shared a sideline with Johnson.
“I haven’t been with him in the past, but he came highly recommended from a number of people that I trust,” Johnson said. “He’s got skins on the wall. He’s been to playoff games. He’s won playoff games. He’s done it on a high level. He’s been the No. 2 quarterback at a number of different places as well. So his experience level is off the charts. He’s seen a little bit of everything that this league has to offer.”
Keenum is competing with Tyson Bagent to be Williams’ backup, but the Bears will keep three quarterbacks on the roster. Johnson said they’ll determine the No. 2 in training camp.
“I’ve competed my whole life,” Keenum said. “I show up every day and hope my locker is not cleaned out, man. That’s how I treat every day.”
Included in Keenum’s decade-plus in the league working with a bunch of quarterbacks is the 2023 season when he backed up Rookie of the Year C.J. Stroud in Houston. He’s comfortable in this spot and knows how to work with Williams.
“He’s just a sponge,” Keenum said. “For being an all-world talent, a guy who, since high school, has been the best player on any field anywhere he has ever stepped on, to be humble enough to ask me questions and watch and learn, has been really refreshing to see. A guy that young and that talented but still takes to what I have to say, it’s been really fun.”
The practice plan
Before the Bears host the Miami Dolphins (Aug. 10) and Buffalo Bills (Aug. 17) in the preseason, the teams will share the practice fields at Halas Hall. Johnson said the plan is to have one joint practice with each team.
“It’s a good opportunity to break up camp a little bit,” Johnson said. “Controlled setting, yet high, high intensity. I think the competitive nature of just about everybody, once you get in between those white lines against an opponent like that, it goes up another notch. It’ll be at that point of training camp where we’ve had, call it 12, 13, 14 practices in.”
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