Caleb Williams uncovers the truth behind Ben Johnson’s viral locker room moment that left Jason Kelce stunned

Caleb Williams finally shared the story behind one of the most talked-about moments from the Chicago Bears' 2025 season.

During his latest appearance on the New Heights podcast, Williams looked back at head coach Ben Johnson's viral locker room celebration following Chicago's 24-15 win over the Philadelphia Eagles in November 2025. The moment grabbed headlines when Johnson took off his shirt as players celebrated a statement road victory. Months later, Williams revealed there was more to the scene than fans knew.

Caleb Williams reveals Ben Johnson had been preparing for the moment all season

The story resurfaced when former Eagles center Jason Kelce brought it up on New Heights. While speaking with Caleb Williams, Jason Kelce jokingly called Johnson's celebration a "complete lack of class" and wondered if Bears fans would see more of those moments in 2026.
"There was a moment last year that I want to bring up, that I thought was just a complete lack of class," Kelce said (Timestamp-55:40). "I don't know who takes their shirt off in a football game. But, are we gonna get Ben popping off his shirt more this year?"

Rather than downplaying it, Williams leaned into the memory."There was a great moment," Williams said on the New Heights podcast. "It was like pandemonium in the locker room. When he started doing."

Then came the detail that turned a funny clip into an even better story. According to Caleb Williams, Johnson had quietly spent part of the season getting himself ready for that exact celebration. The Bears quarterback joked that he often spotted his coach squeezing in extra work in the weight room before practice.

"Ben didn't do it early in the year because he had to lift a little bit more," Williams said on New Heights. "At some point, I started seeing him in the weight room right before we go out to practice, getting a couple of squats, getting a couple lifts and things like that. He was working for this moment."

That explanation helps explain why the celebration became such a hit inside the Chicago Bears locker room. Players did not just see a coach enjoying a win. They saw the payoff to a running joke that had apparently built throughout the season.

The moment also reflected how quickly Johnson connected with his roster during his first year with the Chicago Bears. After taking over following Matt Eberflus' departure, Johnson helped guide the Bears to the playoffs behind a much-improved Williams. The quarterback finished the 2025 season with 3,942 passing yards and 27 touchdown passes.

Now, months after the clip first spread across social media, Caleb Williams has provided the missing piece of the story. What looked like a spontaneous celebration was apparently something Johnson had been waiting to unleash for quite some time.