In a season full of self-sabotage from the Bears, they are mathematically eliminated from the playoffs with four games remaining and already looking ahead to next season.

Next season and their future as a whole largely depends on rookie quarterback Caleb Williams. The better he plays in the Vikings’ final four games beginning Monday, the more attractive this coaching position will be and the brighter the Bears’ prospects will be.

His rookie season so far hasn’t lived up to everyone’s expectations, including Williams’s. He didn’t come close to achieving his goal of surpassing Texas quarterback CJ Stroud’s great 2023 rookie season, and he was outplayed by Offensive Rookie of the Year favorite Jayden Daniels, who was drafted second overall by the Commanders , after Williams became No. 1.

Williams has filled both sides of the ledger in his first 13 games. There were signs of potential, as he put together the best rookie season ever for a Bears quarterback, but competing with Justin Fields, Mitch Trubisky and other disappointments, that’s a low bar to clear.

There were also some concerns and some early season frustrations resurfaced. Williams now has four games left to prove that he really is on the right track.

The last week has been anything but calming.

While Williams had an efficient passer rating of 116.9 and a completion percentage of 73.9 against a struggling and struggling 49ers team, he needs to be much more productive and more of a catalyst. The Bears were dead in the first half, trailing 24-0 and having just four net yards total on offense. Everything that happened after that had no impact on the 38-13 loss.

Williams was 6-for-9 for 27 yards at halftime and finished with just 134 yards passing. The Bears were unhappy with that performance from Fields, and it’s not profitable now. Williams can’t control the fact that the Bears’ defense is falling apart, but he needs to fight harder.

There were also signs of regression.

Williams recorded seven sacks, increasing his NFL-worst total to 56. While the flawed offensive line is part of the problem, so is Williams’ tendency to hold the ball for too long.

Williams also set an NFL rookie record with 255 consecutive passes without an interception, but that’s not a streak worth preserving if it means he’s being overly conservative. He completed just three passes against the 49ers that were 10 or more yards past the line of scrimmage.

The Bears need him to fuel their offense and strike fear into opposing secondaries like the league’s best do.

Williams’ last game against the Vikings three weeks ago was a better example of what everyone wants to see.

He gave the Bears an early lead. He decoded defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ attacks. He managed 340 yards passing and was also dangerous as a rusher, with 33 yards on six carries. He played cleanly without being overly cautious, throwing for more than 20 yards eight times and completing three passes of 30 or more yards. The offense scored 27 points, the most against any good defense this season.

This performance indicated progress and Williams still needs to make up for it.

His highly anticipated rookie season can only be described as mixed. His 87.8 passer rating and 211.2 yards per game are better than in any of Fields’ seasons, but both numbers are still behind Daniels and the No. 12 pick Bo Nix among rookies starting in Week 15.

This is hardly “making history” as he had in mind when he spoke before the draft about wanting to lead the Bears out of their long-standing misery. They’re still in there. Williams can use the next four games to instill hope that he can eventually lead them to something better.

Although the Bears president made a point of expressing his confidence in the GM he didn’t hire, the Poles’ future still remains in question. But unlike previous GM problems, extending the pole could be as much of a solution as firing him or letting him go.

From Mark Potash

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The Vikings have won six in a row and most recently demolished the Falcons.

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