Now that the Chicago Bears’ season is over, there’s one more thing coach Ben Johnson needs quarterback Caleb Williams to do: Get away from football.
“We had a good exit interview,” Johnson said. “My main message to him was he needs to get out of football a little bit. He’s done a phenomenal job in terms of staying focused all year long.”
“I thought he grew up as a professional. I thought his communication to the coaching staff grew. I thought his communication to his teammates grew. But we will certainly have a number of points of emphasis that he can dive into when he comes back this spring.”
Williams and other players packed up and left Halas Hall on Monday, a day after their postseason ended with a 20-17 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round of the playoffs.
Now the offseason begins in earnest for both Johnson, his staff and general manager Ryan Poles, who shared updates and insights during their sessions with the media on Wednesday.
Here are five things we learned.
1. How do you grade Williams?
Bears quarterback Caleb Williams addresses the media Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, at Halas Hall after the season ended with a loss to the Los Angeles Rams in an NFC divisional playoff game. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
Teammates gave him high marks for his playmaking abilities, but a lot goes into the duties of a quarterback.
He had his “A” games and his “F” moments, but it’s clear that after his second season he remains an incomplete product.
Some of his final numbers seem almost contradictory in nature:
• Williams broke Erik Kramer’s 30-year-old franchise record for regular-season passing yards (3,838, set in 16 games in 1995) when he threw for 3,942 yards in 17 games.
• Yet Williams failed to come close to Johnson’s goal of 70% completion rate, and in fact, he dropped from 62.5% his rookie year to 58.1%.
• Williams finished second to Jim McMahon (636 in 1985) with 618 passing yards in a single Bears postseason, and his four postseason passing touchdowns ranked second to Sid Luckman (five in 1943).
• Despite a three-interception game against the Rams, he was anything but pick-prone. His 1.2% (2025) and 1.1% (2024) interception rates are the lowest among any Bears quarterbacks with a minimum of eight starts (half a season under the previous format).
• Williams led the NFL and Bears history with seven fourth-quarter comebacks.
• Another sign of a “clutch gene,” Williams tied Detroit’s Jared Goff and Pittsburgh’s Aaron Rodgers for the second-most fourth-quarter touchdown passes with nine, and he was sixth in fourth-quarter passing yards with 1,096.
• However, Williams had the most throwaways (which avoids sacks and interceptions) and topped the league with 109 “poor throws,” according to Stathead. He was second-worst to Minnesota’s J.J. McCarthy (66.5%) in on-target percentage at 69.8% among quarterbacks who started at least eight games.
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) throws the ball in the first quarter of the NFC divisional playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams at Soldier Field on Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)
In his exit interview, Williams said his focus will be on accuracy, including making sure his footwork is consistent.
“We revamped the footwork a little bit last spring. He certainly got more comfortable with the concepts we were running over the course of the season,” Johnson said. “That’s something we can build upon.”
Poles said about Williams’ accuracy, “When you watched his college tape, you knew that some of those wild throws were part of his game.”
However, he was pleased with Williams’ pocket presence. His sacks dropped from 68 as a rookie to 24 as a sophomore.
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An improved offensive line arguably gets most of the credit, but it was common to see Williams spin away or hop out of a pass rusher’s grasp at the last second.
“His ability to escape, I think that’s a rare trait that he has,” Poles said. “You saw that come alive.
“With that said, Ben hit it, there’s still a lot of work to be done. But I think he gets you excited about what he can become if he continues on the path he was on before.”
Overall, Johnson is happy with Williams’ growth.
“I’m really encouraged about the steps he took this year,” he said. “I’m Caleb Williams’ No. 1 believer.”
2. Ozzy Trapilo’s injury looks like a long road to return.
Chicago Bears offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo (75) goes in motion on a play in the fourth quarter of a game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on Oct. 26, 2025. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Trapilo seemingly had cemented himself as a long-sought solution at left tackle over six regular-season games, but he tore the patellar tendon in his left knee during the wild-card game against the Green Bay Packers.
“It’s really unfortunate because I thought he was really coming along,” Poles said. “I was looking forward to him getting this offseason.
“I don’t have a specific timetable. I’m sure it’ll be deep into next year, with the injury. So, we’ve had a conversation with him. He knows this is part of his journey that he has to overcome. I have a lot of faith in him and our staff to get him back ready to go, whenever that is.”
The Bears have nine players on injured reserve, including three others who would be considered either starters or part of a rotation: linebackers T.J. Edwards (fractured fibula) and Noah Sewell (torn Achilles tendon), defensive lineman Dayo Odeyingbo (Achilles) and Trapilo.
A couple are recent high draft picks with development potential: offensive lineman Kiran Amegadjie (elbow) and defensive lineman Shemar Turner (ACL).
Others on injured reserve include defensive back Terell Smith (knee) and running backs Roschon Johnson (thumb) and Deion Hankins (quadriceps).
“Shemar is doing well. He’s rehabbing,” Poles said. “Dayo, T.J. Smith, (defensive back) Zah Frazier, Kiran, all those guys are progressing to be back this offseason.”
Chicago Bears linebacker T.J. Edwards (53) is carted off the field during the second quarter of an NFC wild-card game against the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field on Jan. 10, 2026, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
Frazier, a fifth-round pick last year, spent the season on the non-football injury list for a “personal” reason.
“He’ll be back going into this offseason like everybody else,” Poles said. “He feels like he is in a really good place to develop and move forward.”
Poles said Frazier’s missed time has set him back from his goal of competing for a roster spot.
“He’s got a mountain to climb just for missing so much ball,” he said.
Meanwhile, top cornerback Jaylon Johnson had a “minor” wrist injury, Poles said. “He’ll be fine shortly.”
Offensive lineman Jordan McFadden started at left guard against the Rams when All-Pro Joe Thuney shifted to left tackle in place of Trapilo, but McFadden was playing hurt, Poles said.
“Credit to him and his toughness, (he) had an ankle injury,” he said. “He’s got to get that worked on. He finished the game, which was incredible. But he’ll be back and ready to go at some point this offseason.”
3. The front office faces tough personnel decisions.
Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson (left) and free safety Kevin Byard (right) hug on the field while warming up for an NFC wild-card game against the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field in Chicago on Jan. 10, 2026. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Both starting safeties, Kevin Byard III and Jaquan Brisker, and cornerback Nahshon Wright will be unrestricted free agents, along with several key rotation players and reserves on offense and defense.
As Poles endeavors to keep a playoff-caliber roster intact, “you just have more constraints.
“At the same time, I don’t think the process changes. You’re going to identify the guys that fit what we want in our football team, which coach hit, and you just keep trying to acquire those players.
“We know what they look like, we know how they act, we know how they talk, and we’ll continue to do that.”
Byard was a team captain, led the NFL with seven interceptions and was voted to the Pro Bowl and All-Pro rosters.
“Kevin’s a special player,” Poles said. “I have no problem saying that’s a player that we would like to have back. But, again, when you add the other safeties into that mix and all the other decisions we have across the roster, with cap restraints and things like that, it’ll be a challenge.
“But that’s part of what we do.”
4. Right tackle Darnell Wright kept improving.
Chicago Bears offensive tackle Darnell Wright (58) blocks Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter (98) in the fourth quarter of a game at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Nov. 28, 2025. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
The GM said the 2023 first-round draft pick benefited from the upgrades to the interior lines, which brought in Thuney, center Drew Dalman and Jonah Jackson, Wright’s partner at right guard.
“It was steady through the season,” Poles said. “I think that’s one thing we’ve challenged him is the consistency part. I think there’s some ups and downs every once in a while, but when he strings it together it’s really, really good and it’s going to help us win football games.”
Notable this season were some of Wright’s highlight-reel pancake blocks.
He drove Cincinnati Bengals first-round rookie Shemar Stewart so far into the second level that Wright took out teammate DJ Moore, too.
Later, he flattened Eagles defensive lineman Jalen Carter, who was drafted ninth overall in ’23, one spot ahead of Wright.
“I love watching him come off the ball and move people,” Poles said. “And when he has this confidence and belief in himself that he’s the best on the field, I think he can be one of the best to do it.
“He just has to show up and continue to put that work in and get there.”
5. The Bears will be looking for more consistent ways to win.
Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet (85) makes the game-tying touchdown catch against the Los Angeles Rams in the final seconds of the fourth quarter Jan. 18, 2026, in an NFC divisional playoff game at Soldier Field. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
Certainly, NFL fans enjoyed the memes and the replays of the Bears’ crazy comebacks — seven game-winning rallies, including the playoffs.
After all, those frenetic rallies gave us dramatic game-winning touchdowns (see Colston Loveland and Moore — twice) as well as mind-blowing passes, such as the “Jumpman” throw by Williams on a fourth-and-8 against the Packers.
Poles would rather have more wins that are boring by comparison. That would be one of the best ways to avoid taking a step backward next season.
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“I heard the whole ‘Cardiac Bear’ thing,” he said. “I’d rather not be the Cardiac Bears. But if that’s what that game needs, then that’s what you need to do.
“I don’t think you want to be living on the edge all the time, but I think what you can take from this season was that we were able to have poise down the stretch of games and be poised to finish and guys made plays when they needed to be made. I don’t think that’s a characteristic that you should ever shy away from.”
Still, he did enjoy watching Williams’ rainbow to Cole Kmet in the corner of the end zone to tie the Rams on fourth-and-4 after Williams backpedaled to the 40-yard line before launching it.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Poles said. “It was a ridiculous throw, and that’s a credit to him and his genetics and his arm, his ability to create and pocket awareness.”
Poles drafted Williams first overall out of USC knowing he possessed improvisational talent, but the arm strength Williams displayed while throwing on the run made others on the team marvel.
“I think this year, I realized how athletic he is,” Poles said. “Like, I knew he was a good athlete. He’s a little awkward in his movements, but it’s unique in the way that he can get out of things and move his body, so he’ll continue to get better and lean into the traits that he has.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/21/chicago-bears-caleb-williams-evaluation/
