People have tried to stay patient with Caleb Williams, knowing the young quarterback was poorly handled by the previous Chicago Bears coaching staff last season. Undoing that damage would take time. Even so, it is difficult for many not to feel nervous about where his development is. After starting the season with seven touchdowns and one interception, he has two touchdowns and three interceptions over the previous three games. Williams hasn’t been a decisive presence on the field for weeks, which is not what you want to say about the quarterback you took #1 overall.

Some people might raise eyebrows at the idea that a game against the Cincinnati Bengals carries such importance. They’re an AFC team. It’s on the road and is unlikely to significantly impact the Bears’ playoff hopes either way. While that is true to an extent, one person should be very concerned about how this game goes. That is Williams. Cincinnati has the worst defense in football. They are 30th against the pass and 32nd in points allowed. Their best player, pass rusher Trey Hendrickson, is also unlikely to play. Everything lines up for Williams to have a big day in this game.

So imagine if he doesn’t. What happens if he struggles? There is a strong possibility that such a scenario could lead to some uncomfortable conversations inside Halas Hall.

Caleb Williams won’t get a better setup for success this season.

Cincinnati is being served up on a silver platter. Any competent quarterback would take full advantage. Unless the offensive line has a complete meltdown, which is unlikely, this is a game Caleb Williams should excel in. He doesn’t have to put up 400 yards and four touchdowns, but it’s not unreasonable to expect at least 250 yards and a couple of scores. If he can’t produce even that much, it will confirm many of the growing rumors about what is happening in that building.

People around the NFL have said it feels like Williams is resisting the instructions of head coach Ben Johnson. He’s still trying to play a similar style to his USC days, and it’s led to frustration from Johnson and others. Many have wondered how much patience the coach would have with his young quarterback, given his preference for playing on time and in rhythm. Another erratic afternoon against a defense like the Bengals’ might shift things in a direction Williams doesn’t want them to go.

There is no way to know for sure who a team will draft months before the event happens. So many things have to go a certain way. There are too many variables. Yet, from observing how the Chicago Bears have operated and identifying their needs going into 2026, it isn’t difficult to surmise who they might target next spring. Here’s a recap of what we know.

• The Bears pass rush is one of the worst in the NFL
• Their edge rush situation is weak outside of Montez Sweat
• Dennis Allen prefers bigger defensive ends for his system

Factor all of these things in, and then add their persistent presence at Ohio State games and you start to see who they’re probably looking at. Multiple scouts attended the Penn State game this weekend, and the timing felt perfect, as it was a breakout performance for Kenyatta Jackson. The 6’6, 265-lb defensive end had two sacks and two tackles for a loss in a 38-14 drubbing of the Nittany Lions. He now has 4.5 sacks in his last five games, all against Big Ten opponents. If ever there was a specific player that screamed “Bears!” in this class, it’s him.

The Chicago Bears better hope Jackson’s tear doesn’t get out of control.

If he does too well, there is a strong chance the Ohio State standout could vault himself all the way into the top 10. Right now, the Chicago Bears are nowhere close to picking in that range. Initially, experts saw Jackson as a day two pick. While he possesses an abundance of physical talent, his production on the field wasn’t reflecting that. That has started changing. Players like him go early in the draft when they check both boxes. No doubt the Bears are hoping he stays under the radar just enough to give them a chance.

Then again, head coach Ben Johnson would probably prefer to make it irrelevant by getting to the playoffs. Such a scenario makes landing Jackson unlikely at this rate. Then again, he might get overshadowed by more hyped teammates, such as Caleb Downs, Arvel Reese, and Kayden McDonald.

The Chicago Bears defensive line is not in a good way. Their prized free agent addition, Dayo Odeyingbo, has one sack this season. Not exactly what the team hoped for after handing him $16 million a year. On top of that, Shemar Turner and Dominique Robinson are now out with lengthy injuries. The entire defensive front hasn’t been able to generate enough pressure on quarterbacks. While finding an instant solution is impossible this time of year, there is one possibility the Bears could’ve and should’ve explored already. It is surprising GM Ryan Poles hasn’t picked up the phone.

They must bring back DeMarcus Walker.

He is the one Chicago signed Odeyingbo to replace despite having a decent season last year, notching 3.5 sacks and 16 QB hits. One thing that was never misunderstood was his impact in the locker room. Walker was a vocal presence that others followed. It was hoped that Grady Jarrett could fill that void, but he’s been battling injuries. Now, as attrition takes hold, the Bears need help. Walker remains unsigned by any other teams. There is every reason for Poles to bring him back.

Ryan Poles must swallow his pride and bring Walker back.

The veteran defensive lineman would help with both of their key issues. He would give them a strong presence against the run on the edge, which Turner had handled. He’ll also provide versatility as a pass rusher. He certainly should be healthy and fresh, having spent months without a job. At 31 years old, there is no reason to think he is out of gas. It also won’t be expensive to sign him. There is literally no reason for Ryan Poles to justify avoiding this move any longer.

Chicago is in no position to be picky. They are unlikely to seek help on the trade market given their lack of draft capital to throw around. Salary cap space is almost in short supply. As helpful moves go, this is one of the few they can make. Walker knows the locker room and understands the role he’d be asked to play.

The Chicago Bears have kept any intentions regarding their trade deadline plans out of the national spotlight. Nobody has mentioned them to this point. This either means they’re not doing anything this year or they’ve kept their goals a closely guarded secret. One thing is clear. Injuries are mounting for them at several positions. Nobody would blame them for seeking help. Up until now, the discussions have centered on the defense, particularly edge rusher and cornerback. However, another position might get more action than people realize: running back. D’Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson are both injured, leaving their options limited. That is where Breece Hall comes in.

Despite the New York Jets continuing to be terrible, the 24-year-old is on pace for the best season of his career with 581 yards in eight games. With his contract expiring, many expect the Jets to trade him at the deadline. A new report revealed their price is a 3rd round pick. That seems high considering he’ll be a free agent. Still, his potential value to an offense would be high, and extending a running back is far less expensive than edge rushers or cornerbacks. Sources indicate that the Bears have been monitoring the situation for weeks and are interested.

The Bears can make Breece Hall happen.

As our colleague, Mr. Hughes, points out above, losing a 3rd round pick for Hall isn’t anything big. This organization has floundered in the 3rd round for years. Let’s recap Ryan Poles’ tenure.

• Velus Jones
• Zacch Pickens
• Kiran Amegadjie

The first two names are already off the team. The other is injury-prone and unlikely to receive any playing time whenever he returns. Rather than continuing to throw away those picks, why not flip them for proven players? Breece Hall is certainly one of them. The only issue would be his contract.

Right now, the going rate for a top 10 running back in the NFL is around $10 million per year. Chicago can cut D’Andre Swift this offseason with only $1.3 million in dead cap. That would remove the largest running back contract from the books, allowing them to allocate the funds to Hall. This deal can happen. Everything depends on whether the Bears are willing to pay the price in draft capital.

The Chicago Bears have done everything they can to help Caleb Williams. They’ve stacked the roster with capable players at every offensive position, from wide receiver to the offensive line and tight ends. More importantly, they brought in one of the best offensive minds in the NFL when they hired Ben Johnson as head coach. No Bears quarterback has enjoyed a better structure around him in the modern era. Yet for the first seven games of 2025, the results have been mixed. Johnson has offered no outward signs that he’s unhappy with Williams’ progress.

Yet as we’ve seen, that doesn’t always reflect the truth. Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports generally has pretty good sources inside the league. He spoke on Insider Coverage about how frustration inside Halas Hall is building. Many feel Williams should’ve been further along in his development by now, yet he continues missing too many throws and isn’t taking full advantage of better protection or scheming. Meanwhile, other quarterbacks from his draft class haven’t had a problem playing well this season, particularly Drake Maye, who had a rough situation in New England last year.

SM sources confirmed the same about Caleb Williams.

In reality, this is something that has been building since the summer. Johnson didn’t like his quarterback’s lack of progress in training camp. The Bears head coach is a stickler for hitting the right pass at the right time. Caleb Williams, despite his individual talent, often turns down those opportunities. Apparently, this is why the Bears elected to extend Tyson Bagent. Remember, the backup signed his new two-year deal on August 20th, when camp was winding down. The timing felt somewhat odd. One would think they could’ve waited until later in the year. It seems Johnson made a strong push to ensure the Bears locked Bagent up as insurance in case things with Williams didn’t progress.

Does this mean the Bears are already looking for an exit? No. They remain committed to giving Williams every opportunity to keep growing. However, they need to see progress at some point. This Sunday in Cincinnati against a league-worst Bengals defense should be one such moment. If that team manages to keep Williams in check, that could result in some difficult conversations moving forward.

The NFL trade deadline is just three days away. Much of what happens for the Chicago Bears may be determined by the outcome of their game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. A win could compel them to make a move for some help. The lingering question is where? Most believe it would come somewhere on defense, either at cornerback or edge rusher. Both areas are decimated by injuries. However, the offense may also get some interest. The team has running back questions with D’Andre Swift now hurt. Their depth was always iffy.

It seems none of those directions is where Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report sees it going. He believes the odds are favorable that the Bears will instead seek help on the offensive line, particularly at tackle. It’s well-documented that they have no definitive answer at left tackle. The solution? Well, take a look.

Chicago Bears: Acquire OL Evan Neal from the Giants

This after they already grabbed C.J. Gardner-Johnson on the open market. Braxton Jones is on injured reserve, while Theo Benedet has had issues at left tackle. Neal at least brings some experience and versatility, and the Bears can hope he gets a jolt in a new location, as the Giants have little reason to keep him around at this point. It’s insurance for a late-round pick at the very least.

Neal was New York’s 7th overall pick in 2022. He might be one of their biggest busts of the past quarter-century. In the previous three seasons, Neal allowed 12 sacks and 98 pressures in 1,157 snaps. It got so bad that the Giants moved him to guard this year, and he’s yet to play a single snap. The only argument to be made is he would get a chance to play left tackle, which was his original position in college.

The Chicago Bears don’t need another lost cause.

Nobody can pinpoint what went wrong with Neal in New York. He had tons of talent and had gotten great coaching at Alabama. Brian Daboll is a good offensive mind and understands how to develop linemen. Yet Neal was still a failure. The only explanation is that he never fully grasped how to make the switch to right tackle, which the Giants had asked him to do upon his arrival. Some blockers never develop the confidence when they move away from where they thrived in college.

If nothing else, such a trade would be dirt cheap for the Chicago Bears. They could probably land Neal for a late round pick in the 2027 draft without any issues. Even a pick swap is plausible. Much depends on whether head coach Ben Johnson or offensive line coach Dan Roushar believes there is anything salvageable. Braxton Jones just went on Injured Reserve, so that may open the door to something like this. Still, the odds are remote at best.

Chicago Bears fans have seen this movie before. They took the first quarterback in a draft only to see somebody they could’ve had develop into a star. That was Mitch Trubisky going before Patrick Mahomes in 2017. Now it appears to be happening to them again, this time with Caleb Williams as fans watch Drake Maye thrive in New England. The bitter irony is that they took the wrong quarterback from North Carolina. The football gods have a sick sense of humor. Except one person is tired of hearing about it.

Matt Waldman of Football Guys is one of the most respected tape analysts in the industry. He has closely followed the 2024 quarterback class and has been aware of the developing narratives surrounding Williams and Maye. He is tired of hearing the slander towards the Bears’ quarterback, and this idea that Maye is multiple tiers above him. Waldman wrote a column explaining why comparing the two is unfair for multiple reasons. It starts with reminding everybody of the damage done to Williams’ development last year.

People don’t factor that into the conversation nearly enough.

When I hear about the commentary regarding Caleb Williams, I suspect too many people are watching Red Zone.

He’s bad, and Ben Johnson knows it. His performances are uneven. He’s not consistent enough.

Wrong. Wrong. And, yes, wrong.

Folks are looking at his 61 percent completion percentage, 7.3 yards per attempt, and his 9 passing touchdowns as solid but not in the same tier as fellow rookies Drake Maye or Bo Nix this year. These comparisons are as consequential as basing player analysis on Red Zone.

Nix is in Year 2 of their offenses with legitimate offensive architects on staff. Maye’s experience working under center was in an offense that had better fundamental structures in place that you’d expect from an NFL scheme…

…The Bears offensive architect last year was the equivalent of a waiter posing as an architect. Comparing Maye’s bad scheming to Williams’ situation is like comparing a grape to a kumquat…

…Caleb Williams is not remotely bad. If anything, he’s a dynasty value if the Red Zone watchers are buying the narrative. Williams is a starter in many re-draft leagues as QB13 on Sunday and for the season thus far — and doing it in a new offense.

We forget he endured a disaster in 2024 — a disaster that none of his rookie peers would have handled any better, much less survived it.

Caleb Williams had zero stability last year.

People can talk about Maye being in a bad situation, too, but that was less about the offensive system and more about the lack of talent around him. Former Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt at least understood how to build a scheme around a young quarterback. He’d done that to some success in Tampa Bay with Josh Freeman. He also helped Kevin Stefanski do that with Baker Mayfield in Cleveland. Maye had the same head coach and offensive coordinator all season. Caleb Williams had two of the former and three of the latter.

While Maye did change systems this offseason, it didn’t really reset his development. That wasn’t the case for Williams. Head coach Ben Johnson had to start everything over due to the damage done the previous year. It meant Williams would have to endure some growing pains before he got on track. We’ve seen that unfold over the first half of this season. Waldman believes there have been more than enough signs that things are going in the right direction. Some patience is required.