Former Chicago Bears return specialist Devin Hester believes quarterback Caleb Williams needs to speed up his decision-making process to reach his full potential. Hester shared his thoughts on the 2024 first overall draft pick, who faced significant challenges during his rookie campaign with the Bears.
The Hall of Fame returner made these comments during an appearance on Kay Adams’ “Up & Adams” show on Thursday.
“I would say, just getting rid of the ball a little quicker,” Hester said. “I know he makes plays with his legs, but I would say, like you say, holding the ball a little bit, sometimes you just gotta let it go. I would say make a decision a little faster this year. And I think that comes with the experience from last year, of the speed of the game.”
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Hester completed his thoughts by expressing optimism about Williams’ future.
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“This year, if he can get rid of the ball a little quicker, making the decision a little quicker is my answer. Get rid of the ball a little quicker,” Hester said. “Make the decision quicker. You know what I mean? And the sky’s the limit for him.”
Williams was sacked a league-high 68 times during Chicago’s disappointing 5-12 season in 2024. The quarterback prepares for his second year under new coach Ben Johnson.
From shotgun to under center: Ben Johnson’s plan to transform Caleb Williams
Ben Johnson, who joined the Bears after coordinating offenses in Detroit, has already outlined a development plan that parallels Devin Hester’s recommendation.
“It takes a village,” Johnson said at the NFL owners meetings in Florida. “I don’t know what the number was in terms of seconds that [Williams] held onto the ball before releasing it. But we would certainly like to bring that number down.”
The Bears’ new coach plans to work extensively with Caleb Williams on fundamentals when the team begins its offseason program. This involves getting the young quarterback to take more snaps from under center.
This is a dramatic change for a player who played mostly from shotgun sets in college and as a rookie
“He’s been predominantly a shotgun quarterback for most of his high school and college career, and so he’s very comfortable there,” Johnson added. “We’re going to work to see the comfort level under center and how much of that applies.”
Caleb Williams recorded only seven career pass attempts behind center in college, six of which were at USC within the opponent’s three-yard line. As a rookie, he recorded only 84 dropbacks under center versus 575 in shotgun formation.
Johnson’s offense in Detroit led the league in plays with the quarterback under center (56.2% last season) and topped the NFL in play-action rate (36.1%). Meanwhile, Chicago ranked 30th (18.5%). The Bears coach believes this approach could help Williams limit sacks and improve his 62.5% completion percentage, which ranked 31st among qualified quarterbacks.
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Edited by Krutik Jain
