Ryan Poles explains where Bears QB Caleb Williams has grown most

The Chicago Bears have an opportunity to build off their success last year, reaching the NFC Divisional playoff round, sparked in a major way by the growth and play of quarterback Caleb Williams.

In his second season in the NFL, Williams had a brand new system led by head coach Ben Johnson, which saw the quarterback set a franchise record for most passing yards in a single season while leading a top-10 offense, but there's still plenty of room to grow.

On Tuesday, general manager Ryan Poles spoke about the trajectory of Williams' career as heads into Year 3 in the NFL, believing that the connection he's built with his head coach is key to long-term success.

Chicago Bears 53-man roster for 2026 season

"I think you see that joy back in his game where he's playing free," Poles said about the growth in his young quarterback. "I think he sees and identifies where he comes up short faster than what he did before, and I think that's where him and Ben (Johnson) are continuing to work really well together, trying to get better every single day."

There's no question that at least in the first year of their relationship, the Bears are getting what they had hoped for in the head coach-quarterback relationship, and now they'll look to build off of that first year success. If Williams can continue to make leaps in his game and development, not only will he be a highly-successful quarterback in the NFL, but he'll be the franchise cornerstone that the Bears have needed for decades.

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