Caleb Williams openly strived to restore pride, create joy, and give Chicago Bears fans something they could finally feel good about again. And he delivered in 2025.
The goal of every football season is to finish it by hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.
From the moment head coach Ben Johnson arrived and took over the Chicago Bears, he called his shot about his mission for the team.
“Our goal is to win and win now,” he said in his introductory press conference.
He didn’t just mean having a winning season. The Bears set their sights on the Super Bowl.
Maybe that sounded unrealistic to outsiders. But inside the building, the Bears believed it was possible. Johnson was shooting big, and so was every player on the roster.
The goal for quarterback Caleb Williams in his second NFL season? The same as his head coach.
Why play the games if you’re not trying to win the championship at the end?
Of course, that’s easier said than done. The Bears had a tremendous 2025 season. They exceeded all expectations, won the NFC North, beat their biggest rival in the playoffs, and went toe-to-toe with what many considered the best team in football before falling in overtime of the Divisional Round.
It’s the sick reality for 31 of the league’s 32 teams. The ultimate goal is to win the Super Bowl, and you’ve got a 96.8 percent chance of being frustrated when your season inevitably ends.
But there are also goals and objectives every coach and athlete sets for themselves that aren’t tied directly to the “big goal” of winning a championship.
Maybe it’s a statistical benchmark. Maybe it’s an award. Maybe it’s something deeper or more personal.
And those things can still be accomplished, even when a season ends without a Super Bowl parade.
For Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, one of his main objectives in 2025 was to bring joy back to the fan base — to feed a starving contingent of Chicagoans. And I don’t even mean that literally, although he did provide free hot dogs for the city via The Wiener Circle with his performance against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 3.
Williams talked about it multiple times throughout the 2025 regular season. He mentioned it specifically before and after all three games against the Green Bay Packers.
“I hope to help keep bringing that excitement to this organization, to Chicago, and then obviously on game days. We want them to be proud to be a Chicago Bears fan,” said Williams.
And that’s the sticking point right there.
Caleb Williams wanted to help Bears fans feel proud of the team they root for and identify with. He wanted to spread joy throughout the city.
From that perspective, the 2025 season could not have been a greater success.
Mission accomplished, Caleb.
The Bears may not have been crowned champions of Super Bowl LX, but the 2025 Bears provided memories that will last a lifetime. I can speak for myself when I say it was the most fun football season I’ve ever experienced.
The magic was undeniable. The constant comebacks. The “find a way” attitude. The sheer likability of this roster. It was stressful, sure — but man, the team nicknamed the Cardiac Bears was fun.
For the last five months, I paraded around in Chicago Bears gear with pride.
I’ve enjoyed countless phone calls with family members and friends, soaking in the joy this team brought us. I went out to bars on weeknights, made new friends, and celebrated with complete strangers. And I know I’m far from the only one who can say that.
For the first time in a long time, it feels like a point of pride to say you’re a Chicago Bears fan. It’s legitimately fun to be a Chicago Bears fan again.
That starts with Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson, and the city has responded with gratitude and unwavering support.
You see it in the way buildings across the city are lit up in blue and orange.
You see it in the way every Chicago bar is standing-room-only on game days.
You hear it in the “Green Bay sucks” chants that echo through Chicago sporting events — even when it’s not Packers week.
You see it in the fans throughout the city, painting their fingernails, wearing wired headphones, and drinking matcha lattes in an effort to be just like Caleb.
It’s a cry of support. Bears fans have lifted Williams up for all the joy he’s provided, and in turn, they’ve told him, “You’re our guy.”
Williams was asked about that very connection during his end-of-season press conference with Bears media. It’s something he’s recognized — and something he takes great pride in.
"That was part of the reason why I said I can do it here,” Williams said earlier this week. "To bring life, bring joy, to bring excitement to being a Chicago Bears fan. To be able to cheer for us. I do take pride in it. It's really cool, honestly, to be able to have those small things like that."
"Just being able to have the city behind you and, I mean, you lose that game and you're walking out of the game and the fans stand up and cheer and roar in a tough moment. It goes a long way,” he continued. (via Chris Kwiecinski of Fox32 News)
This is what Chicago has been waiting for: a quarterback to love, and one who actually loves the city back. A figurehead for Chicago sports who could define the next two decades.
That relationship — between Caleb Williams, the Bears, and the city of Chicago — was forged in 2025. It laid the foundation for the future and erased all doubt.
So while Chicago won’t be playing in the NFC Championship Game this weekend — and while that reality may sting for quite a while — Bears fans can take comfort in knowing Caleb Williams isn’t going anywhere.
And the fun times of being a Chicago Bears fan are just getting started.