Bears GM Ryan Poles already planning for massive Caleb Williams move

The Chicago Bears made quarterback Caleb Williams the first overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, meaning he won't become eligible for a contract extension until next offseason. 

That said, Bears general manager Ryan Poles suggested while speaking with reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine on Wednesday that he is building the Chicago roster with a future Williams megadeal in mind. 

Ryan Poles excited to eventually "pay a young quarterback"

"I hope eventually to have a quarterback situation, too, where we've got to pay a young quarterback," Poles explained, per Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times. "We're getting closer and closer to clarity on that side of things." 

While Williams endured somewhat of a rocky rookie season, he seemed to make a massive leap while playing under first-year head coach Ben Johnson. Specifically, Williams guided the 2025 Bears to seven comeback wins after trailing in the fourth quarter from the 2025 regular-season opener through Chicago's wild-card playoff victory over the Green Bay Packers. 

Of course, it wasn't all that long ago when Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud seemed to be on track to receive a lucrative second contract from his club. Some executives around the league now view the Texans marrying themselves to Stroud on a long-term basis as "not even an option." 

Thus, it's understandable that Poles wants to see Williams make positive strides before the Bears show the 24-year-old the money as soon as next winter. 

How Bears want Caleb Williams to improve upon impressive second season

"I want to be clear," Poles added about Williams. "Anyone that's watched the league long enough knows that for quarterback play, it's consistency. Can you stack years on top of each other? We still have steps to go. I don't want to make it like he's already [there]. He knows he's got work to do. But if all of that falls into place, we have to understand how that changes our formula as we move forward. That's a great thing to be on that path. I feel like we have a long-term quarterback solution. It makes me excited."

According to Pro Football Reference, Williams finished the 2025 regular season ranked 17th in the NFL among qualified players with a 58.2 adjusted QBR, 22nd with a 90.1 passer rating and 38th with a 58.1 percent completion percentage. Such data shows that Williams still has plenty to work on to get to where Poles and Johnson hope the young signal-caller will be at this time next year.