From playoff heroics to rivalry-defining walk-offs, these five throws capture how Caleb Williams became Chicago’s new franchise icon during the unforgettable 2025 campaign.
The 2025 Chicago Bears season will be remembered for a lot of reasons.
It marked the beginning of the Ben Johnson era, and more importantly, it was the year Chicago finally felt confident that it had both the right head coach and the right quarterback. The Bears finished with 11 regular-season wins, captured the NFC North, beat the Green Bay Packers twice — including in the playoffs — and pushed the Los Angeles Rams to overtime in the Divisional Round.
The Bears exceeded expectations at every turn.
The season also cemented the “Cardiac Bears” identity. There were constant comebacks, constant late-game drama, and an incredible number of games that came down to the final play. The team was never boring, consistently electric, and created memories that this fan base will carry for decades.
More than anything, though, this was the season Caleb Williams became known as “The Iceman.”
He established himself as one of the most clutch quarterbacks in football. No matter how bad the situation looked or how far away a win felt, the Bears were never truly out of a game with Williams at quarterback. Time and time again, he delivered his best plays in the biggest moments.
If you look across the NFL this season, there are countless highlight throws. But Caleb Williams has a collection of them that rivals anyone in the league. At times, it felt like he was making “throw of the year” caliber plays on a weekly basis.
You could realistically build an entire list just around his best throws.
So that’s exactly what this is.
Factoring in difficulty, game situation, and long-term legacy, here are my five favorite Caleb Williams throws from the 2025 season.
5. 58-Yard TD to Colston Loveland vs. Bengals (Week 9)
The 58-yard touchdown to Colston Loveland in Week 9 felt like the moment when the Bears’ magic truly started to take shape.
Chicago entered the game coming off a loss to Baltimore and was trying to avoid falling to 4–4 in a crowded NFC playoff race. Williams played well throughout the game, Ben Johnson’s offense was clicking, and Kyle Monangai dominated the Bengals on the ground for 176 rushing yards with D’Andre Swift sidelined. Brittain Brown even found the end zone on his first NFL touches.
The Bears led 41–27 late in the fourth quarter before chaos unfolded.
Tremaine Edmunds intercepted Joe Flacco for what appeared to be a game-ending pick-six, but replay ruled him down by contact. The Bears punted, and suddenly Flacco led two touchdown drives in just 1:21 of game time. The Bengals took a shocking 42–41 lead and it felt like Chicago was heading toward an all-time collapse.
With 25 seconds remaining and no timeouts, Williams stood tall in the pocket against pressure and delivered a perfect strike between defenders to Loveland to get the Bears into scoring range. Loveland then broke tackles and raced 58 yards for the game-winning touchdown.
It was one of the first moments where it felt undeniable that the Bears had a quarterback capable of winning shootouts and carrying the offense in high-pressure situations.
4. Cole Kmet TD vs. Rams (Divisional Round)
If the Bears had won this playoff game, this throw would have a legitimate case for No. 1.
From a pure technical standpoint, it might not be Williams’ most impressive throw. But from a situational and chaos standpoint, it might be the most miraculous play of the season.
Facing 4th-and-4 from the 14-yard line with 18 seconds remaining and trailing 17–10, the play broke down immediately. The Rams generated pressure almost instantly, eliminating any clean throwing window or designed progression.
Williams retreated more than 20 yards while turning his back to the end zone before resetting near the 40-yard line and launching a throw toward the end zone. Initially, it looked like a desperation heave or throwaway.
Instead, Williams identified Cole Kmet in single coverage and delivered a ball that gave him just enough separation to secure the touchdown.
The play kept Chicago’s season alive. Unfortunately, because the Bears ultimately lost the game, it doesn’t carry the historical weight it could have. But if Chicago had won in overtime, there is a real argument that this would be remembered as one of the greatest throws in franchise history.
3. 22-Yard TD to DJ Moore vs. Browns
From a difficulty standpoint, this may have been the most impressive pure throw Williams made all season.
Rolling to his right and nearing the sideline, Williams somehow threaded a 22-yard pass between three defenders to find DJ Moore in the back of the end zone at Soldier Field. It wasn’t just impressive that he saw Moore — it was remarkable that he could physically execute the throw.
This ranks slightly lower only because it happened during a regular-season game the Bears were already controlling.
However, this moment felt like a turning point in Williams’ confidence. You could see it in his play afterward and even in how he handled the media, boldly stating that he could make any throw on the field.
For all the outside noise about completion percentage, plays like this reinforced what film watchers already knew: Williams has elite arm talent and elite accuracy, and he can create throws that most quarterbacks would never attempt.
Ben Johnson’s play-calling helped accelerate Williams’ development, but Williams also expanded what Johnson could call by unlocking areas of the field most offenses simply can’t access.
2. 4th-Down Conversion to Rome Odunze vs. Packers (Playoffs)
This was likely the most physically difficult throw Williams made all season.
With the season on the line against the Bears’ biggest rival, Chicago faced a 4th-and-8. Williams rolled left, escaped a sack attempt, took contact as he threw, and somehow delivered a rope 30 yards downfield through traffic to Odunze for the conversion.
It is genuinely difficult to imagine many quarterbacks in the world making this play.
The only reason it isn’t No. 1 is because it didn’t result directly in a touchdown. However, considering what followed — the Bears completing the comeback and defeating the Packers in the playoffs — this throw carries enormous historical significance.
Without this play, the comeback likely never happens.
1. Overtime Walk-Off Deep Ball to DJ Moore vs. Packers
As far as singular moments go, nothing from the 2025 season tops this throw.
In overtime against Green Bay, Williams delivered a perfect deep ball to DJ Moore for a walk-off touchdown that instantly became one of the defining plays of the season.
The emotional context surrounding this moment cannot be overstated. Bears fans spent the entire season feeling like something had shifted, like this team was finally capable of flipping the dynamic in the rivalry. After losing the first matchup in Green Bay on the final play, the Packers controlled most of the second meeting for nearly the entire game.
Then Chicago staged another late comeback, forcing overtime after a Cairo Santos field goal, an onside kick recovery, and a last-second touchdown to undrafted rookie Jahdae Walker.
Once Chicago got the ball in overtime, they only needed a field goal to win. But Williams attacked downfield despite heavy wind conditions, dropping a perfectly placed deep ball into Moore’s hands for the walk-off score.
Because the Bears ultimately won the playoff rubber match against Green Bay, this throw will be remembered as a defining moment in the rivalry — the moment it felt like Chicago finally punched back.
If there is one highlight that will represent the 2025 Bears season for years to come, it is this play.
And based on what we saw this year, there is a strong chance we will be making another list like this very soon.
This is only the beginning of Caleb Williams becoming an icon in Chicago.