NBC’s Mike Tirico Loves What He’s Seen From Caleb Williams And The Bears

The veteran sports broadcaster had a front-row seat to one of the Bears’ best plays of the season in the playoffs.

Jan 18, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet (85) catches a fourteen-yard touchdown pass thrown by quarterback Caleb Williams (not pictured) against Los Angeles Rams cornerback Cobie Durant (14) with eighteen seconds remaining in the fourth quarter of an NFC Divisional Round game at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

NBC head color commentator Mike Tirico had plenty to think about as he prepared to call the Super Bowl last week betweem the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks.

But there’s another game from this postseason Tirico had ready to mind when asked about it by the Hoge and Jahns show this week: the Divisional Round matchup between the Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Rams at Soldier Field.

“I’ll remember that game for a long time,” Tirico said.

Not only was it a hard-fought matchup that went to overtime, where the Rams finally won, but it was also in the frigid, snowy tundra Bears fans dream of when it comes to playoff football. 

If that wasn’t enough…well…you already know what was on Tirico’s mind the most: the moment when Caleb Williams pulled off one of the most impossible plays we’ve ever witnessed from a Bears quarterback, sending the game to overtime with the longest 14-yard touchdown pass of all time.

As you could hear from the call, Tirico, who has broadcast a lot of games in his decades-long career, simply couldn’t believe his eyes. Weeks later, that still hasn’t changed. But his understanding of what it means for Williams and the Bears certainly has.

“No sport [besides football] has that differentiation point become more severe than, If you got a guy who can do it or you don’t have a guy who can do it. The fact that the Bears have a guy who’s done it in almost record fashion this year bodes well for the future,” he said.

Now isn’t that a sound for sore ears?

We keep hearing about teams and whether or not they have “the guy” at quarterback, and this is, to an extent, what it means: can you make the plays when your team needs them the most? Williams proved quite often that he was, indeed, that guy for the Bears, leading them to a franchise record seven comeback wins in one season (including the playoffs). 

That said, there might not be another quarterback in the league can do…that.

Which is another amazing thing to consider if you’re a Bears fan: they might actually have a player who, if he reaches his lofty potential, could end up in a class all by himself.

One thing’s for sure: I’ll bet Tirico can’t wait to call more Bears games next year.

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