Jeff Joniak’s call of Bears’ walk-off winner will get you hyped

The longtime Bears play-by-play man delivered the call Caleb Williams’ game-winning touchdown pass deserved.

Dec 20, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver DJ Moore (2) reacts with tight end Colston Loveland (84) and cornerback Tyrique Stevenson (29) in the end zone after scoring the game-winning touchdown against the Green Bay Packers in overtime at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

There’s nothing like a great call to take an incredible play to another level for sports fans. Fortunately, Bears fans have a guy with a knack for ratcheting the excitement up in Jeff Joniak.

The man many of us know best for making every Devin Hester return feel like a movie made sure the Bears’ walk-off win over the Packers went hard.

In particular, he saved his best line for Caleb Williams, the man of the hour: “The Iceman cometh. The Iceman taketh.”

That’s cold (pun intended).

🗣️ "THE ICEMAN COMETH"@JeffJoniak's @ESPN1000 call is an all-timer 🔥 pic.twitter.com/3WSNFcZD1n

— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) December 21, 2025

The 63-year-old broadcaster has been doing it at a high level for 24 years in the Bears booth, and it wasn't uncommon for me at least to mute the TV broadcast to listen the Joniak-Tom Thayer call instead. Even through the rough years, Joniak's enthusiasm and penchant for coming up with appealing nicknames have added special flavor to Bears radio broadcasts.

As an audio producer, you can tell when someone’s amped as they’re speaking into a microphone. And even though Joniak wasn’t screaming, the sound levels in that booth were at 11. Given the tenor of that game, it’s not surprising: The Athletic’s Kevin Fishbain even mentioned this game was the first time he’d experienced the press box shaking.

That’s how big the moment was, and Joniak made sure he gave that cataclysmic play the energy it deserved. The only thing missing: more calls from more huge plays. For example, can someone get us the Jahdae Walker touchdown, onside kick recovery, and overtime Packers fumble? (Who doesn't want to hear Thayer frantically screaming "Ball!" as soon as Willis fumbles the snap or bodies start flying around on the onside kick?)

Of course, it's been a little while since Joniak has gotten any playoff games to call. With the Bears only needing one win to clinch the NFC North, it seems likely that the veteran broadcast duo will have some interesting games to call at last.

Now, it's up to the Ice Man and the Chicago Bears to deliver some cold-blooded moments in the ice-cold weather they'll be playing home games in this coming January.

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