NFL insider sees a completely different Caleb Williams at Bears camp

At least, that's the impression Sports Illustrated NFL insider Albert Breer came away with after getting an up-close look at Williams during Bears training camp.

"Caleb Williams, by all accounts, has been a different guy this offseason—more grown up, and taking full ownership of the offense," Breer wrote. "Last summer, Ben Johnson had him drinking from a firehose and it didn't necessarily look pretty in camp. A year later, Williams has real proof of concept, plus command over what the Bears are trying to do."

Breer, who's been making his annual rounds at NFL training camps this summer, added that there's a noticeable combination of "joy and focus" in the way Williams responds to Johnson and the coaching staff constantly challenging him.

And Breer's assessment isn't happening in a vacuum.

Caleb Williams continues to draw rave reviews at Bears Training Camp

The difference in Williams has been one of the most consistent storylines to emerge from Bears training camp. He looks more comfortable, more decisive and, perhaps most importantly, more in command of an offense that overwhelmed him at times last summer.

For the first time in Williams' NFL career, he spent an offseason building upon an offense he already knows rather than starting from scratch. And considering that offense is designed by one of the NFL's most respected offensive minds, another significant jump in production shouldn't be surprising.

It's also showing up on the practice field. Chicago's offense has consistently challenged the defense through the opening weeks of camp, a dramatic departure from what Bears fans have grown accustomed to seeing during previous summers.

Former Bears coach Dave Wannstedt noticed the same thing when he recently attended practice.

"I almost didn't recognize [Williams]," Wannstedt said. "It's night and day. He's operating like a four- or five-year guy in this system."

That's quite a statement about a quarterback entering only his third NFL season and his second in Johnson's offense.

But it's also why expectations surrounding Williams have reached another level.

He's generating legitimate preseason MVP buzz, and becoming the first 4,000-yard passer in Bears history feels less like a fantasy and more like a reasonable expectation. Williams came agonizingly close in 2025, finishing with 3,942 passing yards, just 58 yards short of finally breaking through a statistical barrier that has stood for the entirety of the franchise's history.

Now Williams knows the offense. He understands the expectations. And, according to those who've watched him closely this summer, he's beginning to operate it like a veteran.

If that's the version of Williams the Bears are getting in 2026, 4,000 passing yards might be just the beginning.