Everybody knows Caleb Williams is a special talent off script. Few in the NFL are better at using their legs to avoid pressure and making a play on the fly. It’s what Williams became famous for at USC. However, as everybody knows, that ability alone wouldn’t be enough at the pro level. If Williams wanted to be great, he had to learn how to operate from the pocket. That is why the Chicago Bears brought in Ben Johnson as their new head coach. He is a master at teaching pro-style offense, incorporating lots of work under center, play-action, footwork, and timing.

None of these concepts was a primary focus for Williams in college. Many people wondered how he would adjust to it, or if he could at all. Things didn’t start well. The quarterback couldn’t shake many of his old habits. He held the ball too long, relied on scrambling, and focused too much on looking for the big play. Johnson’s frustration was evident. Reports persisted that the head coach’s patience had limits. How long would he wait for Williams to figure it out? Many didn’t give it the entire season. Thankfully, it sounds like Johnson has started noticing real progress from his quarterback.

One play stuck out to him in the big win over Cincinnati. Funny enough, it was an incompletion.

“There’s a number of things that I was pretty pleased with,” Johnson said. “It’s looking more like I want it to look – that he wants it to look like. I can think of one particular instance off the top of my head before halftime where (we) called a play and they ended up clouding it to the side of the primary. So that’s not there, he gets through his progression and quickly dumps the ball to the back as he’s stepping up in the pocket. Now we didn’t throw our best ball. It was a little bit high. We didn’t haul it in. But that to me was what we want this quarterback to look like as he’s playing within the timing and the rhythm of this offense and trusting his feet to take him through the progressions. Something for us to build on.”

“There’s a couple that we can continue to clean up,” Johnson continued. “I think he’s starting to play faster. The more reps we’re getting on some of these concepts, he’s understanding the intent, the coverages that we’re really looking to get and if we’re not getting those coverages, can we quickly get to No. 2, No. 3 or even look to run with that ball? It’s coming along nicely.”

Caleb Williams is starting to see how everything works.

That is often the biggest hurdle for young quarterbacks. They can hear the play call and envision how it’s drawn up. The problem is that many of them struggle to understand why. Each call is meant to counter a specific coverage or alignment the defense is showing. If the quarterback puts the ball where it’s supposed to go, it creates a positive play. Caleb Williams often seemed uncertain about the objectives of many plays. He’d been a fraction of a second late on his reads, leading to poor timing and no rhythm.

Johnson can see the light going on. Williams understands coverages better. He’s starting to know where his outlet passes are. That throw to Brittain Brown was a perfect example. The key is making sure his feet are right so the pass is on target next time. It is all part of the process. Johnson has maintained a consistent approach, and it’s working.

The trade deadline has passed. Once again, GM Ryan Poles made a move for the Chicago Bears. However, this time was more lowkey than years past. Despite having obvious needs across the roster, he opted to go with a bargain deal, acquiring former 1st round edge rusher Joe Tryon-Shoyinka from the Cleveland Browns. It wasn’t the splash many fans wanted, but it gives the team some desperately needed depth at an injury-ravaged position. What we didn’t know at the time was the Bears came incredibly close to pulling off a surprise.

According to insider Jordan Schultz, Chicago was in heavy pursuit of New York Jets defensive end Jermaine Johnson. The former 1st round pick was excellent in 2023 with 7.5 sacks and 16 QB hits. However, a season-ending injury last year stalled his progress. With the Jets starting a firesale that saw them trade Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams, most expected Johnson to go as well. The Bears felt he was a great fit for their defense. Unfortunately, there was an obstacle they couldn’t overcome.

The Chicago Bears did the right thing.

Johnson is a fine player. He is not worth a 2nd round pick. Don’t forget Poles gave that much to Washington for Montez Sweat in 2023. Sweat was in the midst of a Pro Bowl season. He has remained mostly healthy and productive since then, although not quite as dominant. Johnson has been none of those things. He doesn’t have the production to back up that asking price, which begs the question of why New York refused to budge.

There is no question that the Chicago Bears did the right thing. Giving up a valuable 2nd round pick for a player of Johnson’s capability would’ve been the height of madness. This roster is not at a point where they can casually throw away high draft picks for B-grade players. Tryon-Shoyinka might not be a flashy move, but he was cheap and can still provide depth. That is enough.

The Chicago Bears are 5-3. Their roster is decimated by injuries, though. Anybody with an understanding of football knows those circumstances are a perfect breeding ground for aggressive trades. GM Ryan Poles has shown in the past that he doesn’t fear taking shots. He gave up 2nd round picks for Chase Claypool and Montez Sweat during a time when the Bears were rebuilding. It went against typical logic for team construction. Poles felt it was worth the risk. No doubt he’d be more aggressive than ever now that his team finally has a chance to make a playoff run.

At 3:00 p.m. CST, the deadline passed. Chicago’s only move of the day was swapping picks with the Cleveland Browns for veteran edge rusher Joe Tryon-Shoyinka. It was a minor deal for a player who is not a difference-maker. He is depth. Good depth, but still depth. Fans were upset. Why didn’t Poles take a bigger swing? That is because the GM finally demonstrated something he hasn’t in years past.

Self-awareness.

Ryan Poles knew he wasn’t well-equipped to be aggressive.

Usually, when you’re a buyer at the deadline, you have some extra draft picks to throw around. That is what happened with Philadelphia and Jacksonville this week. Chicago only has seven picks next year, which is the standard amount for each year. Going below that number is not advisable for teams that want to maintain their roster with young talent. Then there’s the salary cap. The Bears have the 10th-lowest cap this year at $7.49 million. Next year, it actually drops to $2.86 million. That severely limits the types of players they could pursue. Veterans with large contracts were off the table.

Lastly, Ryan Poles has shown that he understands the current state of the Bears as a football team. Are they one or two players away from a Super Bowl? No. They still have several areas of the roster to sort out, and one mid-tier veteran addition at the deadline wasn’t going to change that. The smart thing to do was to keep the draft picks and continue stockpiling young bodies under Ben Johnson and his coaching staff. Forcing the issue rarely works.

Poles’ predecessor learned that lesson the hard way.

The 2025 NFL trade deadline came and went without any major fireworks for the Chicago Bears, and that’s exactly why they earn a solid B-. While fans hoped for splashier moves, the front office played it smart, avoiding the urge to overpay for short-term fixes in a season that’s still very much alive.

Yes, Chicago did make one move — acquiring edge rusher Joe Tryon-Shoyinka from the Cleveland Browns. Let’s be honest: this isn’t a game-changing addition. Tryon-Shoyinka is more of a rotational piece than a solution, but with the Bears thin at edge rusher, they needed another body. He provides depth, and at this point, that’s all they were looking for.

Don’t look at Tyron-Shoyinka as a replacement for Dayo Odeyingbo. That’s Austin Booker, who played really well last week. This is a replacement for Dominique Robinson.

The Bears resisted going all in, and that deserves praise. Would adding another star player have helped in the short term? Probably. But giving up premium draft capital with a couple long-term needs still looming would’ve been a mistake. Chicago’s front office likely knows they aren’t one piece away from a Super Bowl, and they’re wisely keeping their options open for the offseason. Building through the draft is always the best route unless you believe you’re one player away.

For now, the Bears will ride with Montez Sweat and Austin Booker on the edge. Help could be coming soon, too — if Kyler Gordon and Jaylon Johnson return from injury, it’ll give the defense a major boost down the stretch. Taking a look into free agent cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. would be interesting as well. But with the NFC North still in reach, this was a calculated decision.

No panic. No overpaying. Just disciplined team-building — and that’s worth a B- in my book.

Final Grade: B-