Caleb Williams and Bears hope to strike gold before QB's big payday

The Bears are near the end of Caleb Williams' rookie contract, and soon it will be time to pay him a boatload of money. Before they have to do that, winning a Super Bowl would be a great thing to achieve. The Bears are on a realistic path to that achievement after a successful Year 1 in the new era of Ben Johnson.

In a recent article, Mike Pendleton concludes that the Bears need to strike while the iron is hot before Caleb Williams big payday. Here is what he had to say about the Bears moving forward, heading into the end of Williams's rookie contract:

"Pairing Johnson with Williams was key to the season that the Bears had last year, winning the NFC North division for the first time since 2018, and beating the Green Bay Packers twice last year, including eliminating them from the playoffs.

Chicago understands the urgency to strike big while in the early stages of Williams' career, looking to build the most competitive and talented roster around him while he is still on his rookie deal. Teams that have young quarterbacks have a small window to find the most success before they have to pay the face of their franchise big money, which is where the Bears are approaching in 2026, the last year season for Williams before he's eligible for a lucrative contract extension.

Williams is certainly in line for a massive payday, but for financial reasons, the Bears would most certainly love to capitalize on the highest level of success, winning a Super Bowl sooner rather than later."