LAKE FOREST, Ill. (670 The Score) – Bears general manager Ryan Poles watched in awe as quarterback Caleb Williams backpedaled and produced another thrilling moment Sunday night at Soldier Field.
With the Bears trailing 17-10 against the Rams late in the fourth quarter of their divisional round game, Williams scrambled backward all the way to his own 40-yard line before unleashing a long throw off his back foot that landed in the arms of tight end Cole Kmet for a touchdown that allowed the Chicago to tie the game and force overtime.
The Bears then suffered a heartbreaking 20-17 loss that ended their season, but Poles was nonetheless blown away by Williams’ playmaking ability.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Poles said Wednesday. “That was a ridiculous throw.”
The 24-year-old Williams completed 58.1% of his passes for 3,942 yards, 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 17 regular-season games in his second NFL season. He led the Bears to a worst-to-first turnaround in the division, as they went 11-6 to win the NFC North crown.
Williams’ success came under first-year head coach Ben Johnson’s guidance and within his innovative offensive system.
“There’s still a lot more that we can push through in that regard,” Johnson said. “I’m really encouraged about the steps he took this year. I’m Caleb Williams’ No. 1 believer. I have a lot of faith in him and what he’s capable of doing and the player that he’s still striving to become.
"Our quarterback is going to be a special player in this league."
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Williams proving to be a budding franchise quarterback. He set the Bears’ single-season passing yards record in 2025 and nearly became the first player in franchise history to throw for 4,000 yards in a season.
Williams made his strides amid constant challenges from Johnson, which helped him turn his natural talents into a more refined product.
“I would say the one thing that stands out, that I was happy to see come back was just his pocket presence,” Poles said of Williams. “His ability to escape, I think that’s a rare trait that he has. You saw that come alive. With that said, Ben hit it, there’s still a lot of work to be done. But I think he gets you excited about what he can become if he continues on the path he was on before.
“He'll continue to get better and lean into the traits that he has.”
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.