Case Keenum was ready to retire. He’d put together a tremendous career as a journeyman backup quarterback. He even took Minnesota to the NFC championship in 2017. However, at 37 years old, it felt like the time was right to hang it up. Then he got a phone call from new Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson. He wanted to provide Caleb Williams with a veteran mentor while also stabilizing the team’s depth chart. According to Dan Pompei of The Athletic, the sales pitch was excellent.

Still, moving cities again was a tough ask for him and his family. Was the chance to stay in the NFL worth it? After considering the offer, he decided to accept the job. In the months since then, he’s slid into his role with ease. The relationship with Williams has developed fast. Keenum thought he had a good idea of what he was working with when he arrived. It didn’t take long to realize the former #1 pick was even better than advertised.

In fact, Keenum confirmed one of his darkest thoughts to Pompei.

In March, Johnson called Keenum and told him he was “sexy” because of the success he had working with young quarterbacks. Keenum, who had been called many things by coaches but never sexy, was flattered. What’s more, he was intrigued by Johnson’s vision for his potential role.

Keenum had two choices — the Bears or retirement.

He became the Bears’ No. 3 quarterback.

But calling him their No. 3 quarterback doesn’t begin to describe what he does.

Except for three letters in their first names, Case and Caleb could hardly be more different.

Williams has been touched like Adam in the world’s most revered fresco. Some believe he is among the most gifted to ever put fingertips to lace. Keenum, who has played with Stroud, Goff, Sam Bradford, Baker Mayfield and Josh Allen, believes Williams could become the greatest of them all.

Case Keenum has seen greatness up close.

Josh Allen is an MVP. Baker Mayfield has played like one, as has Jared Goff. To say Williams is on a trajectory to surpass all of them is no small thing. Some will say the veteran QB is merely talking up his teammate, but that doesn’t feel entirely true. Case Keenum has a long-standing reputation for being honest with his feelings. He’s never been one to overhype anybody. He calls it like he sees it. Based on how Williams has played in recent weeks, it’s no longer possible to say his thoughts are lunacy.

Most quarterbacks wouldn’t have been able to pull their team out of the fire like he did against New York last Sunday. Keenum was right there for all of it. He said even before the final drive that Williams was going to score and win the game. Such things aren’t said just for motivation. You could sense the belief behind them. If Williams has converted a grizzled veteran like him, it’s time to take notice.

Technically, we’re a week removed from the midway point of the NFL season. But it’s still a good time to announce midseason awards for the Chicago Bears.

Through nine games and 10 weeks, the Bears are 6-3 and have already exceeded their 2024 win total under first-year head coach Ben Johnson. Caleb Williams looks like a different quarterback. Their resiliency is showing over so many games.

They’ve been an entertaining — and endearing — team to watch. And that’s a far cry from so many past seasons.

Without further ado, here are your 2025 Chicago Bears Midseason Award winners! Follow me on X @DhruvKoul to continue the conversation.

Chicago Bears Midseason Awards

Offensive Player of the Year: Darnell Wright

I know, I know. Traditionally, this is a quarterback or skill player award and the Bears have a few to choose from. But that’s how good I think Wright has been this year.

He’s playing as a true “set it and forget it” anchoring right tackle. Frankly, that’s been his story since he joined the Bears… but now that the rest of the Bears’ offensive line is solid as well, Wright’s dominance is shining through weekly. He’s one of Ryan Poles’ best draft picks and a true upper echelon offensive lineman in the NFL. The Bears got this one right.

Honorable mention(s): Caleb Williams, Rome Odunze, Joe Thuney

Defensive Player of the Year: Tremaine Edmunds

The Bears’ defense is something else. They’re one of the most beat-up units in the league in terms of injuries. Their pass rush isn’t great. They’re not great at stopping the run. And down-to-down, they’re one of the worst defenses in the league.

And yet, they lead the league in takeaways and have one of the league’s best stop rates on third down. They just suck at getting to third down.

Overall, Edmunds has been fantastic this season. Kudos to Dennis Allen for moving Edmunds to the Will spot. He was brought in to play the Mike in Matt Eberflus’ defense a couple years ago and struggled to make the impact he and the Bears wanted. Since his move to Will, he’s been able to rely on his size and speed and not have to be a natively instinctual player (because he isn’t). He’s had a knack for timely interceptions and has formed a strong tandem with T.J. Edwards (who takes the Mike spot when healthy).

Honorable mentions(s): Kevin Byard, Montez Sweat

Worst Moment: Bears Lose 52-21 in Detroit

The last time the Bears opened the season in primetime was in 2019, when Matt LaFleur’s Packers came to Soldier Field and stunned an excited Chicago crowd 10-3. A highly anticipated season started off with a total dud.

Not to be outdone, in Week 1 this season, the Bears jumped out to a 17-6 lead in Ben Johnson’s debut, only to unravel in the fourth quarter to hometown kid J.J. McCarthy and the Vikings to start 0-1. And if that wasn’t bad enough, Johnson returned to Ford Field in Week 2 in front of a ravenous Detroit crowd… where the Lions whipped Chicago 52-21 put them at 0-2.

That was a low point. Every Bears fan came out of that game feeling like they’d been duped… as if there was no hope. To lose that badly in a “revenge game” in Detroit after all the offseason anticipation? Yuck.

Of course, the Bears have course corrected very well since then. But that was a low moment. And it’s a feeling Bears fans expect to not have again for a long time.

Honorable mention: Bears Blow 41-27 Lead to Bengals

Best Moment: Bears Walk Off Commanders in Washington

Let’s be real, the Bears have plenty of candidates for this one. The blocked field goal in Vegas before their bye week got them to 2-2 despite one of their worst played games in a long time. Caleb Williams’ comebacks against the Bengals and Giants in consecutive weeks were script-worthy. Caleb’s flea-flicker touchdown to Luther Burden against Dallas was their first moment where it felt the offense had figured things out.

Lots of things to choose from when the team is 6-3.

But at the time, that Commanders game was everything for Chicago. The opportunity to go back to Landover and avenge the Hail Mary loss from 2024. A prime time battle on Monday Night Football. Another Williams vs. Jayden Daniels battle. Another Williams comeback. And Jake Moody kicking in relief of Cairo Santos to walk off the Commanders before Washington went into its tailspin?

Yeah, that was sick.

Honorable mention(s): Caleb-To-Colston Loveland in Cincinnati, Josh Blackwell‘s Blocked Field Goal

Best Coaching Accomplishment: Ben Johnson’s Bye Week Tweaks of the Running Game

The Bears’ rushing attack was a deadweight unit the first four weeks of the season. The run blocking was a bit messy, and D’Andre Swift wasn’t able to maximize the opportunities with good blocking that he DID get.

And then something changed over the bye week. Johnson said he would figure it out — and he did. The Bears unveiled their tweaks against the aforementioned Commanders in prime time, leaning on a dominant run game on the final drive to win the game. And since then, the Bears’ success has made their rushing attack a Top-5 unit. Insanely impressive accomplishment.

Honorable mention(s): Caleb Williams’ Progression, Edmunds-Edwards Positional Swap

Predicting the Bears’ Remaining Schedule

Let’s round this off with a quick second-half prediction…

@ MIN: L
vs. PIT: W
@ PHI: L
@ GB: L
vs. CLE: W
vs. GB: W
@ SF: W
vs. DET: L

Final record: 10-7.

The Chicago Bears know they should’ve beaten the Minnesota Vikings on opening night. They held the lead 17-6 in the 4th quarter. Unfortunately, a defensive collapse, coupled with the offense’s inability to extend the lead, left the door open for a comeback. Caleb Williams didn’t have a bad game, but he was rendered ineffective for long stretches, and that ended up costing his team. Hopes are high that he is considerably better prepared this time around. His recent performances against Cincinnati and New York reflect that.

Thankfully, some added good news came down the pipeline. Reports out of Minnesota confirm that star pass rusher Jonathan Greenard will miss the game with a groin injury. This is no small loss. Greenard leads the Vikings by a wide margin with 36 pressures. He had seven in the game against Chicago, constantly harassing Williams all night. Minnesota has no obvious replacement for him. His absence should mean the Bears can focus their efforts more on blocking those Vikings interior rushers.

Caleb Williams has proven he can gash the Vikings if not pressured.

A good example was last season’s meeting at Soldier Field. Minnesota had only 14 pressures, which was considerably lower than the 20 they had a few weeks later. As a result, Caleb Williams threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns. Luckily for the Vikings, the offense put up 30 points and they escaped in overtime. There is no question that defensive coordinator Brian Flores will be aggressive. He’s one of the most blitz-happy coaches in the NFL.

There is one problem with that. Williams has 769 yards, eight touchdowns, no interceptions, and a 110.0 passer rating when blitzed this season. It is not some magic solution to beating him. Often the best way was through getting pressure through a four-man rush. That option becomes less likely with Greenard out of the picture. If Chicago can establish the ground game and open up play action, Williams will have a big day.

Caleb Williams is transforming into the best version of himself. After a difficult start to the season, the Chicago Bears quarterback has played some of his best football over the past two weeks. He’s led back-to-back 4th quarter rallies to get his team to 6-3 and a highly important rematch with the Minnesota Vikings. Nobody thought they would be here after starting 0-2, coming off that deflating 52-21 loss in Detroit. Williams’ ability to weather the storm and keep improving is central to that revival.

Certain people deserve credit for that. Much of it goes to head coach Ben Johnson. He brought a proven system with him from the Lions and hired several assistants who understood how to communicate with a quarterback. Additionally, the Bears improved their offensive line and surrounded Williams with talented pass catchers. However, perhaps the most unheralded hero of this season is backup Case Keenum, who assumed a mentor role as a backup. Most people think Johnson had already lined him up as an option. It turns out that wasn’t true. The coach needed an assist from an old friend, according to Dan Pompei of The Athletic.

It was somebody Bears fans probably remember well.

Given his impact on Jared Goff with the Detroit Lions, Johnson was confident he could enhance Williams’ play, but he was also aware that, as a first-time head coach, he would be challenged in ways that could detract from the attention he would be able to give his quarterback. He also knew he had a rookie offensive coordinator and a rookie quarterbacks coach.

What he needed, he thought, was a veteran backup quarterback who could set a standard and become an archetype…

…Johnson didn’t know Case Keenum. Neither did any of his assistants. Bill Lazor did, however, and he had worked with Johnson on the Miami Dolphins. Lazor had been with Keenum as the Houston Texans’ senior offensive assistant since 2023 and told Johnson that Keenum’s work with C.J. Stroud was a significant factor in Stroud winning offensive rookie of the year.

Bill Lazor did the Chicago Bears one last service.

The former offensive coordinator has a complicated legacy with the organization. He arrived in 2020 and oversaw the last team to make the playoffs. Lazor also had a hand in drafting Justin Fields and overseeing his development. Most people lump him in with the failed tenure of Matt Nagy. Still, the man was well-liked inside Halas Hall for the two years he was there. Now it seems he was instrumental in helping the Bears set their new young quarterback up for success. His vote of confidence in Case Keenum helped secure the quarterback’s spot in Chicago, and the video above demonstrates the significance of this decision to Williams’ ascent.

It serves as a reminder that there were no hard feelings with how things ended for Lazor. This is a business. Things happen. He was professional enough not to let his exit stop him from doing a favor for a former team.

The Chicago Bears have operated with a crippled limb all season. That is how significant the injuries have been. Left tackle Braxton Jones was never healthy and is back on IR. T.J. Edwards and Kyler Gordon have battled multiple setbacks all season. Dayo Odeyingbo tore his Achilles and Shemar Turner his ACL. Both are done for the year. Yet the biggest loss has unquestionably been Jaylon Johnson, their star cornerback. He’s missed all but one game this year, and some wondered if he’d be able to get back. Ben Johnson officially put that mystery to bed.

News broke that the Bears activated the 21-day practice window for Jaylon on Friday. Johnson confirmed this during his press conference. That means he will resume practicing on Monday. From there, it becomes a question of how he and the Bears feel about his preparation and conditioning. Based on the timeline, it is likely he would be ready for the big December 7th matchup against the Green Bay Packers. However, if things go well, he could even return in time for what could be Chicago’s last battle against Aaron Rodgers when Pittsburgh comes to town on the 23rd.

Ben Johnson knows how big this could be.

Jaylon is one of the best cornerbacks in football. The head coach knows from having to go against him for years when he was with Detroit. Getting that caliber of player back will be a significant boost for a defense that has struggled for most of the season. That is particularly true with the quality passing attacks they must face.

• Aaron Rodgers
• Jalen Hurts
• Jordan Love
• Brock Purdy
• Jared Goff

These are all guys who know how to win and will make you pay if you’re not careful. Having a healthy Johnson should instantly make life easier for the secondary and allow defensive coordinator Dennis Allen to be more aggressive. That should lead to more stops and possibly more takeaways. Ben Johnson knows the Bears win when that happens. Add Gordon and Edwards to the mix as well, and this defense could look far different from the one we’ve seen most of the season.

Chicago Bears fans weren’t sure what to expect from Caleb Williams this season. They knew he had talent. Arguably, the most of any quarterback in franchise history. However, it takes more than physical tools to thrive in the NFL. This team has learned the hard way with guys like Justin Fields, Jay Cutler, and Mitch Trubisky. As the 2025 campaign unfolded, it became apparent Williams had something many hadn’t expected. He seems to play his best football in crunch time, delivering clutch drives in the 4th quarter.

He’d engineered back-to-back game-winning drives against the Raiders and Commanders to get the Bears to 3-2. It looked like he wouldn’t need another in Cincinnati as the Bears led 41-27 with two minutes left. Then Joe Flacco put up 15 points in 40 seconds to erase that lead. Chicago was stunned. Most people thought it was over. Not just the game, but the season. You don’t come back from things like that. With 54 seconds left, Williams had one last chance to save the day. In an episode of 1920 Football Drive, he revealed what he told head coach Ben Johnson right before stepping on the field for the final drive.

It was just two simple words.

Caleb Williams wasn’t lying when he said he doesn’t get nervous.

People thought he was boasting when asked about it last year. The only time he got nervous was during his first high school game. After that, he learned to keep his emotions under control and developed a taste for the dramatic. In hindsight, we probably should’ve seen this coming. Caleb Williams’ first game in college was a wild comeback against Texas while coming off the bench. He went on to do it three more times against Oregon State, Arizona, and California. So there were always signs he could rally his team late, but people didn’t take much notice of it.

Whatever the case, to think the Bears got this type of player after watching other organizations enjoy it for so long is surreal. Chicago hasn’t been synonymous with late-game heroics since Michael Jordan retired. The last thing anybody expected was for a Bears quarterback to pick up that mantle. Yet here we are.