An undrafted rookie's clutch touchdown forced overtime, proving his coach's faith and setting the stage for a dramatic Bears victory.
D.J. Moore caught the game-winning touchdown in overtime to give the Chicago Bears their 11th win of the season, but the team wouldn't have had the chance without Jahdae Walker's touchdown grab 24 seconds in regulation.
The Bears found themselves in a similar situation to what happened in Week 14. Chicago needed a touchdown to keep the game alive and got to a 4th-and-4 at the Green Bay four-yard line. Unlike the previous meeting, Caleb Williams and the offense delivered this time around.
Walker was wide open in the end zone, and Williams made a great throw on the run to tie the game at 16 and force overtime.
As Bears fans witnessed, Moore scored to win the game and the rest was history.
Walker wouldn't have even had the chance to be the hero late if it weren't for the injuries to Rome Odunze (foot) and Luther Burden (ankle). Walker made sure to make the most of his opportunity in Week 16, having a massive role in the win.
Walker was undrafted in April out of Texas A&M. He had played in three games leading up to Saturday, but didn't record any offensive stats. He had two receptions for 21 yards and arguably one of the most critical touchdowns of the game.
Ben Johnson shared an inspired message about Walker at the post-game press conference. Johnson believed Saturday night's game showed exactly why Chicago opted to keep Walker rather than waive him.
“To the people that haven’t been in the building that say, ‘Oh my gosh, you’re going to the undrafted rookie on fourth down’ — well, we see what he does every single week," Johnson said. "We see how he goes about his business. There’s a reason we didn’t want to expose him to the waiver wire and have someone poach him after the preseason. We see a bright future for this guy, and he’s done nothing but steadily improve over the course of the season."
The head coach had plenty of confidence that Walker would come through in the moment, and his faith in the rookie paid off.
"The coaches trust him," Johnson said. "Caleb trusts him. So when it’s a big moment like that, and you’re not sure what coverage they’re going to be in…I had a lot of confidence that he was going to come down and get it. And so does Caleb.”
Walker is only a rookie, but is already making big plays in the biggest moments. It seems his teammates already have his back as well.
Williams went to the podium and revealed that he had let Walker stay with him until the rookie found housing in Chicago.
"Jahdae's my guy," Williams said. "When he first got here, I allowed him to stay at my house for a little bit until he found a spot. We've gone in the indoor and worked out. Just being able to build that connection with him, for moments like this."
Moore will get plenty of attention, but Walker deserves just as much, if not more, for his efforts. Chicago has both of them to thank for this 11-4 record, as it takes on the San Francisco 49ers next Sunday at 7:20 p.m. CT on NBC and Peacock.