Caleb Williams and the Bears see
bigger things in store after making strides under Ben Johnson
[January 20, 2026]
By ANDREW SELIGMAN
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — There were all sorts of thoughts running
through Caleb Williams' mind as he drove home after the Chicago
Bears' gut-wrenching playoff exit.
One thing that jarred him was the realization that instead of
reviewing video on Monday, he and his teammates would be clearing
out their lockers. Williams also felt a strong sense of gratitude in
the wake of the Bears' 20-17 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Rams
in the divisional round on Sunday night.
“To bring life, to bring joy, to bring excitement, to being a
Chicago Bears fan, to be able to cheer for us,” Williams said
Monday. “I do take pride in it. It’s really cool, honestly, to be
able to have those small things like that. Just being able to have
the city behind you. You lose that game, you’re walking out of the
game and the fans stand up and cheer and roar in a tough moment. It
goes a long way.”
The Bears came a long way under first-year coach Ben Johnson. They
went 11-6 and won their first NFC North title since 2018 after
finishing last a year ago and advanced in the playoffs for the first
time in 15 years. Along the way, they provided plenty of thrills.
Chicago pulled out an NFL-record seven wins when trailing in the
final two minutes of regulation, including a thriller against Green
Bay in the wild-card round. And on Sunday, it looked like the Bears
might have one more rally in them.
Williams made an incredible touchdown throw in the closing seconds
of regulation. But on his last pass of the game, a miscommunication
with DJ Moore led to an interception. Matthew Stafford then drove
the Rams into position for the winning field goal.
Instead of preparing for a trip to Seattle for the NFC championship
game, Chicago turns its attention toward the offseason. The Bears
are in a far better place than they were a year ago.
Williams looks to improve his accuracy
Williams made big strides in his second season and first in
Johnson's system, passing for a franchise-record 3,942 yards with 27
touchdowns and seven interceptions. His accuracy remains an issue,
and that's something he plans to address in the offseason.
Williams completed 58.1% of his passes and ranked 24th among
qualifying players. The only other quarterback below 60% was
Tennessee's Cam Ward at 59.8%.
“Was I too far forward? Was I too far back?” Williams said. “Was I
not consistent enough with my footwork and did I lean off and fall
off the mound, is what we call it? Things like that.”
Bears are set along the offensive line
The Bears don't have to worry about their offensive line this
offseason. That's a big change from recent years.
General manager Ryan Poles rebuilt the interior of the line by
trading for guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson and signing center
Drew Dalman. He also drafted Ozzy Trapilo in the second round.
[to top of second column] |
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams gestures as he leaves the
field following his team's overtime loss to the Los Angeles Rams
during an NFL football divisional playoff game Sunday, Jan. 18,
2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Thuney, acquired from Kansas City, was first-team
All-Pro for the third time. Dalman earned his first Pro Bowl
selection. Jackson started every game, and Trapilo emerged as the
starting left tackle during the season. With Darnell Wright, a
second-team All-Pro, at right tackle, the Bears' line was one of the
league's best.
All five players are under contract for next year.
“We just had exit interviews — like you talk to the coaches and you
have a clear view of, here are my deficiencies, here’s what needs to
get better and what do we need to do as a group better,” Dalman
said. “And so I think when you have all those guys that experienced
those mistakes together in the past, it makes it all the more like
poignant next year when we’re trying to address them.”
Improving defensive line could be a focus
The Bears could use some help up front on defense. They were prone
to giving up long drives, and when it came to taking down the
quarterback, they were near the bottom of the NFL. With 35 sacks,
they finished in a five-way tie for 22nd place.
Turnover at safety?
Safeties Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker are on expiring contracts.
The 32-yeard-old Byard said he “would love” to re-sign with the
Bears, with his two-year contract set to expire following one of his
best seasons. He earned his third first-team All-Pro selection while
leading the NFL in interceptions for the second time in his career.
He picked off seven passes, one shy of his career high with
Tennessee in 2017.
Byard said he wanted to prove he was still an elite player when he
signed with Chicago after being released by Philadelphia. He played
a huge role in the Bears leading the league in interceptions (23),
takeaways (33) and turnover differential (plus-22).
“I really enjoyed this season and I would love to be back,” he said.
Brisker stayed healthy in his fourth season, playing a career-high
17 games after missing the final 12 in 2024 due to a concussion. He
had a sack and two passes defensed against Los Angeles.
Next steps
The Bears are bullish on their future. They believe they have the
right coach and quarterback, and they can now entice free agents to
join a winner.
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