Nobody disputes Caleb Williams had a breakout year for the Chicago Bears in 2025. He threw for 3,941 yards, breaking the single-season franchise record, and had 27 touchdowns to just seven interceptions. His seven 4th quarter comebacks were another record, helping the team to an 11-6 record and a division title. He even became the first Bears quarterback in 15 years to win a playoff game. One would think the Bears are thrilled, and they are. Enough to start thinking about a contract extension after this season? General manager Ryan Poles was asked about it during an interview with The Bigs.
First and foremost, the answer is yes. There have been preliminary discussions about what an extension could look like. However, Poles made it clear immediately that it’s a little early for such things. The best thing for Williams to do is put such things out of his mind and focus on the 2026 season. Nothing else. Keep getting better. The money will be there if he does that.
Interestingly, the Bears’ GM mentioned a small criticism, stating the feeling that Williams pressed a little too much once the team was in the playoffs. He must learn to trust head coach Ben Johnson’s instructions and not try to shoulder everything himself.
Ryan Poles isn’t entirely wrong.
If you go back and rewatch Williams’ two playoff performances, there is clear evidence that the young quarterback was playing way too fast. He was trying to eat everything in one bite on too many occasions. It was particularly true in the first half against Green Bay and the second half against Los Angeles. As a result, he threw five interceptions. Remember, he had seven the entire regular season. The Packers and Rams didn’t discover some magic elixir with Williams. His unwillingness to play with more patience hurt his team one too many times.
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The good news is this isn’t anything uncommon. There are plenty of instances of young quarterbacks failing to play with enough discipline during their first playoff trip. Peyton Manning completed just 19 of 42 passes in his first-ever playoff game. Ben Roethlisberger threw five interceptions in his first two playoff games. Eli Manning threw three interceptions in his first. John Elway had more interceptions than touchdowns in his first five playoff games. The point is, you can learn from your mistakes.
Williams should take a lesson from the recent Super Bowl champs.
Sam Darnold wasn’t the primary reason the Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl last season. However, his ability to make enough plays while protecting the football proved decisive. He threw five touchdowns and no interceptions in three games. It was much the same for Jalen Hurts the previous year. He didn’t light up the stat sheet, but he made enough big throws to tilt games in his team’s favor without putting the ball in jeopardy. His five TD passes and one interception were an ideal ratio.
Ryan Poles understands this reality well. Patrick Mahomes threw 10 touchdowns and two interceptions in that first Super Bowl run in 2019. For all the talk about the explosive plays, it was Mahomes’ ability to limit the self-inflicted wounds that gave his team a chance to claim the crown. Hell, even Jim McMahon is proof of this. He had no interceptions in his three games during that iconic run to the 1985 championship. The Bears don’t need Williams to be Superman all the time. Just execute the offense, protect the ball, and go make a play if there’s no other choice.
