​When the Chicago Bears open training camp, you’d think the biggest topic wouldn’t be how the defense plans to stop anyone but rather whether third-year quarterback Caleb Williams is set for an MVP-style breakout, the way some young quarterbacks like Josh Allen did. But a recent Good Morning Football segment makes it clear that the real drivers of Williams’s potential ascent lie in the trenches.
During a discussion about the most pressing Bears issues as camp approaches later this month, former NFL offensive lineman Willie Colon and NFL Media insider Stacey Dales emphasized the offensive line as the position group that will determine how far Williams and the offense can go in 2026. Colon pointed to the line’s performance last year, noting Chicago’s ability to run the ball with authority and protect Williams, who he described as “the Iceman.” Yet he also highlighted clear obstacles: the absence of Drew Dalman, the line captain, in the middle and uncertainty at left tackle. “In Year 3—and I’m talking about Caleb Williams now—he has to make the leap. And he can only do it with an elite offensive line. We know what Year 3 looked like for Josh Allen and how he rose. It’s going to be an issue if this offensive line can’t step up along with Caleb Williams,” he said.
Dales echoed Colon’s focus on the front five, adding specifics Bears fans will want to hear. She noted that Braxton Jones has been the standout at left tackle during minicamp, getting the majority of first-team reps and entering the offseason healthy after dealing with injuries last year that caused a ripple effect across the unit. “He should lock that position down,” Dales said. Beyond personnel, she shared an intriguing tidbit from Cole Kmet: head coach Ben Johnson installs the run game, a design choice that’s unusual in today’s NFL. “That’s what Ben Johnson does. That’s the pulse he has and the will he has to run the football. If you play in the NFC North, you know you have to run the ball. The Bears will vow to do so, but they’ve got to get that offensive line up to snuff in training camp,” she added.
The point is clear: the Bears’ offensive identity under Johnson centers on establishing a powerful ground game. While Williams’ passing talents and targets like Colston Loveland, Rome Odunze, and Luther Burden will surely be part of the plan, the operational reality remains that a run-first, physically imposing approach will be the backbone of this offense. If Chicago can shore up the middle—Drew Dalman’s absence noted, the left tackle job settled—then Williams can grow into the elite performer many around the league expect him to become. The emphasis on the line isn’t merely a talking point; it’s the hinge on which the Bears’ 2026 ambitions will swing, and training camp will reveal whether they’ve built the kind of unit that can protect a quarterback heading toward a potential career-defining season.