Johnson has maintained optimism about where Williams is headed without sugarcoating feedback about his struggles. That, along with several other changes, is going to make him a lot better in the long run.

Although the Bears brought in a young tight end in rookie Colston Loveland with the 10th overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft, Kmet is still expected to have an impactful role in the offense. Now, all he has to do now is get familiar with the new scheme.

Since Hester's final season with the Bears in 2013, Chicago has made the playoffs just twice and failed to win a postseason game. With Johnson at the helm and a franchise quarterback finally in place, Hester appears optimistic this could be the start of a long-overdue new era in Chicago.