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.
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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