4 biggest winners from Bears' triumphant Week 13 win over defending champs

Analysts and fans from around the NFL world have been waiting for the other shoe to drop for the Chicago Bears for weeks now. After every improbable, thrilling win, a resounding chorus was sung in unison: wait until the Bears face a 'real' team. Well, it doesn't get any more real than the defending Super Bowl champs. With all eyes on the Bears in a Black Friday matchup, they walked into Philadelphia and defeated the Eagles 25-14.

Their 25-14 victory over the Eagles is the kind of statement win that the Bears have been looking for all year. There was a kernel of truth to what the doubters said, after all. Through no fault of their own, the Bears entered Week 13 without having faced a real, true-blue contender. But no one can put an asterisk next to their 9-3 record anymore, and there's no more doubt. It's time to take the Bears seriously as a playoff team.

Everyone involved in this organization, from the coaches and players to the executives and even the fans, is a winner today, but four names in particular got a little extra out of this win.

1. Caleb Williams

This was not a great game for Chicago's QB1, but he's not on this list for the box score (it wasn't pretty). However, Williams made the plays that mattered most, including a fourth-quarter 28-yard touchdown pass to Cole Kmet that proved to be the dagger. Neither quarterback on the field in this game did particularly well, but leading the Bears past the Eagles and outdueling the reigning Super Bowl MVP in the process looks great on Williams' resume.

.@CALEBcsw hits @ColeKmet for the 28 yard tuddy 🙌

📺: @NFLonPrime | #ProBowlVote pic.twitter.com/sFVPlCLKVX
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) November 28, 2025

2. Ben Johnson

Similar to his quarterback, Ben Johnson needed this win to legitimise his first year as head coach of the Chicago Bears. Up until now, he had coached well against bad teams but took a thumping from the good ones. Calling a winning game against the defending champs is an undeniable mark of success for Johnson as a head coach. He's definitely not just a play caller.

3. Ryan Poles

The general manager of the Chicago Bears has caught a lot of flak over the last three years, and not for no reason. He's had some pretty bad blunders when it comes to roster construction. However, this victory serves as proof of concept for Poles. He very clearly picked the right quarterback, hired the right coach, and added the right free agents and draft picks.

Friday's win pushed the Bears to nine wins on the season, which guarantees their first winning season since 2018. It will likely take a couple of seasons, but Poles is well on his way to getting his winning percentage as the general manager above .500.

4. Cole Kmet

After the past few weeks, rookie tight end Colston Loveland appeared to be gunning for Cole Kmet's starting job. The sixth-year veteran's game on Friday should help to put some distance back between him and the rookie. He finished with three catches for 36 yards and the game-sealing touchdown late in the fourth quarter, giving him the chance to hit Philly fans with his personal homerun swing celebration.

Like Thanos, the rise of Loveland up Chicago's depth chart may be inevitable, but Kmet is clearly not prepared to go softly into that good night.