LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Before a June minicamp session, with the sun baking the Chicago Bears' practice field, wide receiver Kalif Raymond approached tight end Colston Loveland about staying late to catch extra passes. But there was a problem -- Loveland had already caught 100 extra balls before practice.
Welcome to Year 2 of Ben Johnson.
The practice field routinely featured players who stayed 30 to 40 minutes longer to fine-tune their craft. Quarterbacks and receivers worked on their chemistry while defensive backs -- a unit that helped the Bears lead the NFL with 23 interceptions last year -- worked overtime with the JUGS machine.
The intensity wasn't different from last year, Johnson's first as a head coach. But this year, the players didn't have to rely on trust that Johnson knew what he was doing. There was a proof of concept after Johnson transformed a five-win team into an 11-win NFC North champion that lost in the divisional round to the Los Angeles Rams by an overtime field goal. Johnson established himself, but success established expectations.
"I don't think there's any way you can cut corners and expect to win on Sundays," Johnson said. "Training camp's a big part of that.
"Our guys understand that. They know what they're walking into. I think our type of guys, they embrace it, they want it."
Caleb Williams set the Bears' record for passing yards in his first season with Ben Johnson, and expectations will be for more growth in Year 2. Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images The Bears open training camp on July 25 when rookies report, and those young players are likely to get a harsh scouting report on what to expect.
"He worked the s--- out of us," defensive end Montez Sweat said. "We just was all on one accord. Everybody was on the same page, and everything was really about winning.
"If it wasn't about winning, then it was nonexistent."
And Johnson didn't play favorites. Quarterback Caleb Williams felt the wrath of his new coach last year. Plays would be repeated over and over until done correctly. Even the prized quarterback would find himself tossed out of drills.
Williams recently told an assistant coach: "I feel like I was drowning, trying to breathe or stay alive and wait for a boat to come around last year."
The life raft came in the form of development. Williams set the franchise's single-season passing record with 3,942 yards while leading the Bears to their first playoff win in 15 years.