Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams emphasized that he still believes in general manager Ryan Poles.
Despite the team being on a seven-game losing streak, Williams is confident that Poles is the right person to help the team succeed.
“The amount that he cares about us, the Chicago Bears and wanting to win is why my faith is in him and believing in him and making sure that we get it right,” Williams said Thursday. “That’s my short answer to it.”
The Bears (4-9) didn’t expect to be in this position when they face Minnesota (11-2) on Monday night. At the start of the season, they hoped to compete for a playoff spot, especially after making big moves, including drafting Williams with the No. 1 overall pick. However, a team that entered its bye week with three straight wins and a 4-2 record has now lost every game since.
After a 19-3 loss to New England in Week 10, Chicago fired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and promoted Thomas Brown from passing game coordinator. While Williams seemed to improve after some tough games, the losses kept coming.
The Bears made a historic move by firing their head coach midseason when they let go of Matt Eberflus after a loss to Detroit on Thanksgiving. They had run out of time for a potential game-tying field goal, even though they still had one timeout left. This was just another example of poor decision-making in late-game situations.
Under Brown as the interim coach, the Bears were defeated 38-13 by San Francisco last week. Williams threw for only 134 yards, with two late touchdowns, and was sacked seven times. This marked a big drop in his performance from the first three games with Brown calling the plays, and the tough schedule continues.
The Vikings are on a six-game winning streak, including an overtime win at Soldier Field in Week 12, where the Bears managed to score 11 points in the final 22 seconds of regulation.
During his time at Oklahoma and Southern California, Williams’ teams lost just 10 games in total. The Bears could match that total this week.
“There’s belief — belief, hope and faith — that we’re going to get this right and however it may happen, that’s how it’s going to happen,” Williams said. “That’s kind of where I’m at with it. They drafted me here to go win games.”
Williams said his relationship with Poles has grown stronger, and he remains confident in the general manager. He highlighted the successful offseason moves, including the addition of two wide receivers: six-time Pro Bowler Keenan Allen and the No. 9 overall draft pick Rome Odunze, as well as running back D’Andre Swift.
“Keep going on with a list of people. He’s done a good job,” Williams said.
