Bears laying groundwork for Caleb Williams contract extension
The Chicago Bears are already planning for a contract extension for Caleb Williams. But they're waiting for their QB to give them the green light.
The Chicago Bears have some young talent on their roster that could be cornerstones on this team for years to come, starting with third-year quarterback Caleb Williams, who's fresh off an impressive season where he established himself as one of the most clutch QBs in the NFL. For a Bears organization that hasn't had a true franchise quarterback since Sid Lucian in the 1940s, Williams certainly looks poised to break that curse after an impressive second season and first under head coach Ben Johnson. While the Bears can't technically start negotiating a contract with Williams until after he's completed his third season (next offseason), that hasn't stopped general manager Ryan Poles and the Bears from laying the groundwork for a potential contract extension to cement their hopeful franchise QB in place for the long-term.
"Not just Bears history, football history," Poles said, via the Sun-Times . "There’s been some unbelievable teams that can’t get the quarterback right, and it doesn’t lead to much. Then there are times where the quarterback’s right, [and] it usually bears the fruit that you’re looking for and results in being a contender and a championship-caliber team.
"We’re making progress. That is exciting to even be thinking about planning for that. It’s exciting.
But then there’s a challenge after that, too. " Poles is encouraged with what he's seen from the former first overall pick in his first two seasons, comparing Williams' progress to a traffic light and hoping that Year 3 cements his status as a franchise quarterback and makes the decision a no-brainer to lock down a contract extension. "It’s good to almost feel like you’ve got it," Poles said.