Bears' Caleb Williams has ideal mindset ahead of 2026 season originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Chicago Bears last season surprised many, making it all the way to the divisional round of the playoffs before losing in overtime to the Los Angeles Rams.
In Ben Johnson's first year as head coach, the Bears looked like a different prospect, so too Caleb Williams, who showed exactly what he was about.
Leading the Bears to an 11-6 record, while throwing 27 TDs to just seven interceptions, Williams clearly took a step forward under Johnson.
But as the offseason workouts begin, Williams knows last season now means nothing, and he's focused on one thing and one thing only.
"It was good for me to be able to see, to be able to feel, to be able to go out there and win games," Williams said via NFL.com. "But that wasn't my goal, that's not my goal. That's not where I want to be. I want to be the best. I want to win. I want to be, as we call it, a world champion, a Super Bowl champion. I want to be the best Bears quarterback, best quarterback. Yes, that was a good steppingstone for me, but that wasn't the last stepping stone.
"Being able to grow off of last year and be able to progress in ways that I want to. That last year wasn't really anything. It was a good year and we've got many more good years coming up."
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Last season was good for Chicago, but now the franchise faces a much tougher challenge in 2026, and the schedule looks a little daunting.
The Bears will face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Philadelphia Eagles, Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills, Seattle Seahawks, and the NFC North as well.
That is going to be a true test of what Johnson and Williams have in their locker. But last season, as Caleb said, was a good stepping stone; now the franchise has to consolidate that.
There can be no 5-12 record in 2026, even fans would "settle" for another double-digit winning season.
So, while the 2025 season was one of immense growth, that has to continue in 2026, and it sounds like Williams is hell-bent on making that happen.
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