Amon Ra St. Brown Caleb Williams e1736961392443 Chicago BearsAssociated Press photo

An update on the first three selections in the 2024 NFL Draft: Jayden Daniels is preparing for a playoff game against the Lions, Drake Maye is vacationing in Cancun, and Caleb Williams is pondering the rest of his Chicago Bears career. NFC North rival Amon-Ra St. Brown hopes that career doesn’t include Ben Johnson.

“Just so you know,” St. Brown told Williams on this week’s St. Brown Podcast, “I told Ben that Caleb is (expletive) trash. Like, ‘You don’t want to go there.’ That’s what I told Ben. That’s why Caleb’s a diva. He’s a selfish mother(expletive). He’s going to want everything on his own, like thinks he’s the smartest guy in the world. Not coachable. So, Ben, he already knows.”

All jokes aside, Johnson knows the potential of Williams. Despite a franchise-record 68 sacks and only four wins, the Chicago quarterback actually finished in impressive fashion. After leading the Bears to their first win at Lambeau Field in 10 years, he concluded his rookie year as one of just five quarterbacks in 2024 to reach 3,500 passing yards and 20 touchdown passes with an interception rate below 1.5 percent. The others were Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow. With an eye on Johnson and Dan Campbell, the quarterback shared the qualities he’d love to see in the next Chicago coach.

“Strong-minded,” Williams told St. Brown. “A leader of men. I think that’s the cool thing about what y’all got over there in Detroit.

“Selfishly, I want an offensive-minded guy, so I can build with him and be with that coach for the next 19, 17, 15 years. And so I can also learn and grow from him, and what he’s seen and what he’s gone through with maybe other QBs he’s been around. So, that’s selfishly. But if we get an overall grand-scheme coach and he’s good with time-management, good with the clock, good with helping control the game, a big factor, obviously.”

Williams, who said his only career goal is to win championships, may not get the chance to work with Johnson if Tom Brady and the Raiders can get Johnson before the Bears. Chicago’s interview committee was thoroughly impressed, reportedly, with Johnson when the Bears interviewed him on Friday. The question now seems to be whether Johnson would accept a Chicago offer.

And while St. Brown took a page from Allen’s book in bad-mouthing Williams to Johnson, the Lions’ wide receiver knows he’s likely playing his final games with Detroit’s offensive coordinator.

Serendipitously, Williams might wind up with Allen’s offensive coordinator. Once the Bills’ season ends, the Bears have requested to interview Joe Brady for Chicago’s head-coach role. Other offensive-pedigree coaches on the Bears’ list are Mike Kafka (interviewed Jan. 9), Mike McCarthy (scheduled to interview Wednesday), Kliff Kingsbury (requested), Todd Monken (requested), Drew Petzing (interviewed Jan. 8), Arthur Smith (requested) and Adam Stenavich (requested).

Grand-scheme coaches reportedly connected to the Bears include Pete Carroll, Marcus Freeman, Ron Rivera and David Shaw. Should the Bears go in that direction, or should they hire a defensive-pedigree coach, one option that would preserve continuity for Williams is to keep Thomas Brown in charge of the offense. Brown, who interviewed for the team’s permanent head-coach vacancy on Monday, served as interim head coach after Chicago fired Matt Eberflus on Nov. 29.

For more information on the Bears and the NFL hiring cycle, visit the Chicago teampage and Coach/GM Carousel page at ProFootballPost.com.


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By Zak Gilbert

Since his freshman year at the University of Colorado, Zak Gilbert has worked 30 years in sports, including 18 NFL seasons. He's spent time with four NFL teams, serving as head of communications for both the Raiders and Browns. A veteran of nine Super Bowls, he most recently worked six seasons in the NFL's New York league office.

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