The Chicago Bears' spring-cleaning goal couldn't be much clearer: Do everything they can to put rising second-year quarterback Caleb Williams in positions to succeed.
It feels safe to say Chicago has accomplished its mission, especially after locking up prized offseason acquisition, All-Pro guard Joe Thuney.
Per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, Thuney and the Bears agreed on a two-year, $35 million contract extension, including $33.5 million in guaranteed money. Already signed for 2025, this agreement ensures the stalwart blocker will remain in Chicago through 2027. This move is the cherry on top of a stellar effort in recent months to enhance Williams' supporting cast, giving him zero excuses to fail.
Bears put the ball in Caleb Williams' court to succeed after Joe Thuney contract extension
Williams' surroundings entering the upcoming season are night and day compared to his rookie campaign. It's a drastically different environment between Thuney and the rest of Chicago's revamped offensive line, plus the installation of first-year head coach Ben Johnson. And we mean that in the best way possible.
Things were so dire in Chicago last year that Williams plotted to dodge them before the 2024 NFL Draft. He was very much considering signing with the UFL, which says a lot about the state of the Bears organization (at the time). Yet, somehow, that may not even be the biggest indictment on the club from the bombshell report courtesy of ESPN's Seth Wickersham.
Perhaps the most damning part of Wickersham's intel is that Williams watched film "alone, with no instruction or guidance from the coaches." Were ex-sideline general Matt Eberflus and his former offensive coordinator, Shane Waldron, so confident in the young signal-caller that they left him unattended? Or did they have no clue what they were doing?
Given that Chicago nearly cleaned-swept its coaching staff, Eberflus and Waldron ostensibly were not fit for their respective jobs ... to put it mildly. Williams is stepping into a whole new, better world with Johnson, Thuney, and other key additions like interior O-linemen Drew Dalman and Jonah Jackson.
Moreover, incoming first- and second-round picks, tight end Colston Loveland and wide receiver Luther Burden, give Williams another pair of talented mouths to feed. Chicago's franchise passer has no shortage of weapons, elite protection up front and an ascending, offensive-minded play-calling head coach. One way or another, the Bears will find out if they have their long-term answer under center.