Bears QB Caleb Williams falls for prank claiming Lions’ Ben Johnson was new head coach
Caleb Williams learned one last lesson during his rookie season.
Caleb Williams learned one last lesson during his rookie season.
The Chicago Bears quarterback received a text on Friday evening that claimed to be from current Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.
It read that he would be accepting the Bears head coaching gig, though it was not yet public information.
At first, the 2024 first overall pick said he was skeptical, writing back “Actually? Ben.” But he eventually bought in, and ended up FaceTiming the number on the other end.
Turns out he’d been punk’d.
Williams offered his point of view on the now-viral gag with NFL brothers Amon-Ra and Equanimeous St. Brown on the St. Brown Podcast.
“It was a classic prank,” said Williams. “It was a grade A, S-tier prank. I got to give them props.”
Though it’s unclear how the group of individuals got Williams’ number, the QB said the message was spot-on.
“The text was so official. I’ve gotten that text from college coaches and other coaches before getting drafted,” Williams said.
The former Heisman Trophy winner said he was more upset with the fact he’d been caught off guard than the prank itself.
“I was trying not to flip out because I knew they were probably recording, so I was trying to keep my cool, but when I got off the phone I was fuming,” he said.
Williams added insight on the type of coach he’s hoping lands on the Bears sidelines.
“Strong minded, a leader of men… I think that’s a cool thing about what you all (Amon-Ra St. Brown) got over there in Detroit,” he said.
Matt Eberflus was fired in November following a 4-8 start to the season, and offensive coordinator Thomas Brown took over as interim.
The Bears have interviewed Johnson but they are continuing their head-coaching search with more scheduled interviews set to take place over the next week.
