Bear Digest

Bears fans will love what these players predict for Caleb Williams' future

These pending free agents know what the Bears have in Caleb Williams and what it means for the team's future.
Pete Martuneac|
Matt Marton-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

After their heartbreaking Divisional round loss to the Los Angeles Rams, the Chicago Bears' magical 2025 season is officially over. However, they can hold their heads high as they head into the offseason knowing that they accomplished far more than anyone expected. Think back to last summer and the narratives that hung around this team. The universal opinion was that the Bears' ceiling in 2025 was likely eight or nine wins, and maybe they could hang around in those "In the Hunt" playoff graphics until Christmas Day.

We all know how that went. The Bears won 11 games in 16 weeks en route to clinching the 2025 NFC North championship for the first time since 2018, then pulled off a miraculous Wild Card win over none other than the Green Bay Packers, ending a 15-year streak without a playoff victory.

Most importantly, the Bears answered two critical questions about their future: Is Caleb Williams a franchise quarterback, and is Ben Johnson the right head coach for the team? The answer to both is an emphatic, euphoric 'yes'. And it's not just the fans who are saying that. Take it from Kevin Byard III, a pending free agent, who declared that not only is Caleb Williams a franchise quarterback, but that he's going to be a draw for free agents looking for a new team in March.

Jaquan Brisker, who is also a pending free agent, said almost the same exact thing. He even went so far as to say that Caleb Williams is "gonna be a problem in this league".

Williams has officially arrived, and he's just getting started

They're not wrong. The entire NFL world watched Caleb Williams force overtime with the wildest throw of the year on Sunday night, and you have to believe that pending free agents, or perhaps guys who want to be traded, would like to play with a quarterback who can do that. Williams isn't perfect. Indeed, he has a long way to go before becoming a truly elite NFL quarterback.

But the flaws he intends to work on (accuracy and footwork) are easily fixable with repetition and practice. Another offseason of tutelage under Ben Johnson should work wonders in those areas. The 'wow' moments, however, are purely God-given talent. You either have it or you don't, and unless your team's quarterback is named Josh Allen or Patrick Mahomes, they don't have it.

Both Byard and Brisker are dealing with the reality of expiring contracts, though they hope to return in 2026 (at least one of them likely will). But if they don't, there's going to be a line of free agent safeties beating down general manager Ryan Poles' door for a spot on the roster, just to get a chance to play with Caleb Williams.

The Chicago Bears, after wandering for 40 years in the wilderness, have a quarterback that is a draw to free agents. What a time to be alive in the Windy City.

Caleb William
Matt Marton-Imagn Images

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Pete Martuneac
PETE MARTUNEAC

A former Marine and Purdue Boilermaker, Pete has been covering the Chicago Bears since 2022 as a senior contributor on BearsTalk. He lives with his wife, two kids and loyal dog.

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