Silvy: Can Caleb Williams show who he really is on the field?

Almost exactly one year ago, Bears GM Ryan Poles called Caleb Williams.

Poles: “Hello?”

Williams: “Hello?”

Poles: “Who is this?”

Williams: “Who is this?”

It was a playful exchange as Poles was letting Williams know the Bears were officially drafting him No. 1 overall.

One year later, as Williams walked back into Halas Hall for OTAs, he is officially no longer a rookie. Yet, the question remains, who is this? While many of us still can’t answer that, I do know that Williams has as much pressure on him as any athlete in Chicago sports history.

Caleb’s rookie season was one that made Six Flags proud, full of roller coaster rides. Now it’s up to Ben Johnson to smooth things out so this doesn’t become another trip on the Titanic that other Bears quarterbacks have experienced.

Caleb’s first year as a Bear can be described in a variety of ways: Hopeful, disappointing, heroic, dysfunctional, creative, chaotic, electric, indecisive, overwhelming, underwhelming, confusing, and maybe any other adjective you can think of.

My belief is that Williams showed way more good than bad and will still become the franchise star quarterback Bears fans have been lusting for. I also believe Ben Johnson holds the keys for Williams to become that.

Years ago, the Bears acquired a young quarterback with all the tools who ultimately never lived up to his full potential.

Similar to Williams, the Jay Cutler hype train never was truly supported like it should’ve been. Cutler had a whopping six offensive coordinators in eight seasons in Chicago. Even after his first three coordinators, the Bears could’ve changed Cutler’s trajectory by hiring Bruce Arians over Marc Trestman. Arians previously had successfully developed Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger and Andrew Luck, but that wasn’t good enough for the Bears in 2013.

Instead, somehow Phil Emery hired Trestman, and Cutler remained good but never great.

That’s why it was vital Johnson was hired to fix things in Williams’ second season – credit to Poles and Kevin Warren for that. Sure, the correct move was never to subject Williams to Matt Eberflus, Shane Waldron and Thomas Brown at all, but better one year late than never.

Most players with Williams’ skills crave to be coached hard, if it’s with a purpose. Johnson was behind Jared Goff’s renaissance and the Lions’ lethal attack to become one of the most dangerous offenses in football. Also under Johnson, Jamaal Williams had a 14-touchdown season, Amon-Ra St. Brown was developed from a fourth-round pick to a star, Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery mesh perfectly with their workload, and Jameson Williams became a 1,000-yard receiver after numerous discipline issues. Caleb already compared Johnson to his former coach Lincoln Riley, who he played for at Oklahoma and USC and developed him into a Heisman winner.

That said, NFL network insider Ian Rapoport told the Waddle and Silvy show at the combine that it will be uncomfortable for Williams. Rapoport then doubled down this week by saying, “It’s going to be really miserable for Caleb, and on a Monday night in November it’s going to suck, and if you want to be great it has to suck.”

Unlike the Lions, almost every Bears skill position player undershot their expectations in 2024. The time of being uncomfortable should lead to winning and then happiness around Halas Hall.

As we watch this QB/coach relationship evolve, it’s up to Caleb to appreciate the tough love and get better. As they say, pressure can make diamonds, but it also can burst pipes. It’s time for the Bears to create that beautiful diamond.

• Marc Silverman shares his opinions on the Bears weekly for Shaw Local. Tune in and listen to the “Waddle & Silvy” show weekdays from 2 to 6 p.m. on ESPN 1000.