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.

Williams said he and his offensive teammates are trying to get to the point where they're not thinking so much pre-snap, as they work to learn Johnson's offense and its extensive terminology.

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.