Miami Dolphins’ Mike McDaniel shares powerful advice for Chicago Bears’ Caleb Williams and coach Ben Johnson on building a strong QB-coach bond.
Dolphins’ Mike McDaniel Offers Powerful Advice for Caleb Williams, Ben Johnson originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Miami Dolphins and the Chicago Bears kick off their 2025 preseason on Sunday, but before that, the two teams had a joint practice on Friday. The Bears are going through a change very similar to what the Dolphins went through just three years ago, and the Dolphins' head coach, Mike McDaniel, had some advice for the Bears on how to make things work.
Chicago hired new head coach Ben Johnson this offseason, and young quarterback Caleb Williams will be in his second year in the NFL. The former first-overall pick had a rough rookie year, but he didn't have much support around him.
Similarly, McDaniel was hired in Miami is 2022, two years after the Dolphins drafted Tua Tagovailoa with the fifth-overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Tagovailoa improved each year under McDaniel prior to an injury riddled 2024 season.
Tagovailoa jumped from 2,653 passing yards and 16 touchdowns to 3,548 passing yards and 25 touchdowns in his first year with McDaniel, and then improved to a league-leading 4,624 yards through the air with 29 touchdowns in year two.
McDaniel developed a strong relationship with his quarterback over his first two years in Miami, but it didn't come without challenges along the way.
"It may seem in the short term that, from the player's perspective, the coach is coming at you, or from the coach's perspective, the player might be getting sensitive or misinterpreting you. There's' no way around it," McDaniel said (h/t Chicago Sun-Times). "You have to go straight through those types of scenarios because a real relationship is developed not in perfect conditions, but by going through stuff together."
With the young head coach and quarterback duo in Chicago going through a similar journey, McDaniel encouraged them to embrace the challenges to build a strong relationship.
"To get to the spot that you need to, Caleb is going to be challenged, and then [Johnson's] true intent of how you're coaching and what your motivations are come through when you go through stuff together," McDaniel said (h/t Chicago Sun-Times). "Ultimately, you have to go to a place where there's a little friction before you can really work with true transparency, clarity and efficiency."
No one balances support & accountability w/ his QB like Mike McDaniel.
— Jason Lieser (@JasonLieser) August 9, 2025
I asked him what he'd tell Ben Johnson & Caleb Williams, and his answer was incredible: "You have to go to a place where there’s a little friction."
Then I relayed that to Williams...https://t.co/19g3fQiCnkpic.twitter.com/TyQ2GWSpGS
Williams lit it up in college at USC, but struggled in his rookie season and showed it at times throughout the year. However, Johnson comes from a Lions team that has tasted success recently.
The Lions have made the playoffs each of the last two years, but it was a journey from the bottom up in Detroit. Johnson wants to do the same in Chicago, but the duo knows it won't come easy.
"Because Ben and I care so much and are so passionate about winning, we've had a few moments where we clash," Williams said (h/t Chicago Sun-Times). "It's'not a clash like, 'I hate you.' It's' like a brotherly clash. You're' just two fiery people getting after it. You love each other and you care for each other, and you also care about where you're' at and what you're' doing. Those moments are important."
Williams is a very competitive player that wants to win, and Johnson is a very calculated coach that has found impressive success with his offenses. The two are bound to clash heads at some point out of the want to get better and improve.
The Bears quarterback recalled a recent example when the two disagreed, and he was wrong. However, he responded maturely to understand the situation and move forward with his head coach.
How is Bears coach Ben Johnson coaching up Caleb Williams?
— Adam Jahns (@adamjahns) August 9, 2025
In some ways, he wants him to be like a Navy SEAL.
This was great from him on Hoge & Jahns.
Full show here: https://t.co/qMIhjm8LxZpic.twitter.com/1yaPa2krSn
"We sat and discussed the moment and what he wants from me, and you just keep moving along... It was more like, ''I understand, I get it.'' I want that moment," Williams said (h/t Chicago Sun-Times). "It's' what I was craving — the consistent, hard coaching and the consistent knowledge that he gives me."
The rebuild is a work in progress in Chicago, and the relationship between Williams and Johnson is developing. But, from his own experience, McDaniel advised the Bears' young head coach to make sure his quarterback always remains confident.
"You're measuring something that you can't totally measure — you have to build confidence while creating the relationship of accountability," McDaniel said (h/t Chicago Sun-Times). "It's a fine line that you have to assess off the player's confidence, because you're not getting anything close to what you want from a quarterback unless they are playing confident."
McDaniel built that confidence within Tagovailoa between 2021 and 2022 when his quarterback led the NFL in passing yards. Both head coaches are offensive masterminds, and if Johnson can develop the same success with Williams, there will be a lot of happy fans in Chicago.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 10, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Football
