It Sounds Like the Bears Are Already Thinking About a Caleb Williams Extension ...Middle East

On the one hand, it feels ridiculously early to discuss a Caleb Williams extension.

The Chicago Bears starting quarterback has just two seasons of playing experience under his belt. And sure, it has been fun to watch Williams over the course of his first two years as a pro. Williams has been rewriting the franchise’s record books since his arrival on the scene. But we know better than to put the cart ahead of the horse when it comes to Chicago quarterbacks.

But on the other hand, I couldn’t stop thinking about the possibility of a Caleb Williams extension after hearing Bears General Manager Ryan Poles allude to it while talking shop with reporters during his media availability at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. This quote darn near had me stopped in my tracks:

“We want to stay in that sweet spot where we have a maximum amount of flexibility as we move on, not only for this year but three years down the road. I hope eventually to have a quarterback situation, too, where we got to pay a young quarterback. That comes into play as well. I think we’re getting closer and closer to clarity on that side of things, which helps us start to build those models to make sure that we’re doing the right thing for us moving forward and we’re not putting ourselves in a situation where we’re making tough or bad decisions down the road that hurt us.”

MORE: Ryan Poles Speaks at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine

As far as I’m concerned, Poles sounds like someone who knows he has to strike a balance between making the most of his quarterback’s rookie contract window while not mucking things up for a future when he might have to give that same quarterback the type of mega-extension that eats up a hefty chunk of the team’s salary cap situation. It is a delicate balance, to be sure. But it is one that this front office (and cap expert Matt Feinstein) is prepared to deal with in the future.

My biggest takeaway from GM Ryan Poles’ statement regarding cap flexibility and ensuring there is enough wiggle room for a big-money quarterback contract is that this is the closest thing you will get to a vote of confidence in a rising third-year player. The Bears clearly believe Caleb Williams is The Man moving forward right now. And can you blame them?

Caleb Williams is coming off a season in which he threw for more than 3,900 yards, helped lead Chicago to its first postseason win since January 2011, knocked the hated Green Bay Packers out of the playoffs in the process, and has the team in a position to dream about building a sustained winner. This fan base has gravitated toward him in a way that it hasn’t toward other quarterbacks in the past. That we are even considering the possibility of the Bears handing a young quarterback a second contract is a sign of how much confidence there is in Williams moving forward.

Of course, we have some time before we get to that bridge — let alone cross it. Caleb Williams cannot sign an extension until after Year 3 of his rookie deal. In other words, we are a full year away from truly exploring extension conversations. Even still … Caleb knows he has work to do. Bears Head Coach Ben Johnson knows it, too. Hence, I look forward to Johnson’s plan for Year 2 (and beyond) with Williams in his system. It sounds like Poles is looking forward to it, too.

“If all of that falls into place, I think we strategically have to understand how does that change our formula as we move forward and make decisions for the future,” Poles said. “For the organization, it’s a great thing to be on that path and feel like you have a long-term quartebrack solution.”

The organization and its fans are in uncharted waters when it comes to a future in which the team has to pay a quarterback beyond their first contract. If Caleb Williams stacks another year similar to the one he had last year, we’ll be closer to having extension conversations than we have with any other quarterback we’ve followed since this site’s inception in 2017.

Bears GM Ryan Poles talks Caleb Williams and more

For more from Bears General Manager Ryan Poles, you can watch the video below:

GM Ryan Poles is live with the media at the NFL Combine t.co/VKUJJfjzZB

THE BN BEARS PODCAST: Apple | Spotify | YouTube

Hence then, the article about it sounds like the bears are already thinking about a caleb williams extension was published today ( Wednesday 25/02/2026 - 09:10 PM ) and is available on Bleacher Nation ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.

Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( It Sounds Like the Bears Are Already Thinking About a Caleb Williams Extension )

Also on site :

• Letters: Remembering Joseph Carrisales; Cascadia questions; thankful for help
• William Taylor: Rocky Mountain National Park has the science wrong on moose (guest opinion)
• ‘No lines and big, wide-open runs’: This woodsy California ski town is like Mammoth without the crowds