Bears

Bears QB Caleb Williams closed their Divisional Round loss to the Rams with a critical interception in overtime. Chicago HC Ben Johnson reflected on Williams’ season, saying the quarterback improved with his communication and is planning to have “points of emphasis” for him when they return for their spring program.

“My main message to him was he needs to get out of football a little bit. He’s done a phenomenal job in terms of staying focused all year long. He put in a lot of time, a lot of effort. I thought he grew up as a professional. I thought his communication to the coaching staff grew. I thought his communication to his teammates grew. But we will certainly have a number of points of emphasis that he can dive into when he comes back this springtime. It’s important for really all of us — coaches, players, support — that we get away for a little bit, that we hit the reset button. I think everyone needs that here at this point. The things we highlighted for Caleb to start the season I do think they improved as the season went on. We revamped the footwork a little bit last spring. I think the comfort level grew from that. He certainly got more comfortable with the concepts we were running over the course of the season. That’s something we can build upon. And yet there’s still a lot more that we can push through in that regard. I’m really encouraged about the steps he took this year. I’m Caleb Williams’ No. 1 believer. I have a lot of faith in him and what he’s capable of doing and the player that he’s still striving to become,” Johnson said, via Adam Jahns.

Bears WR D.J. Moore had career lows in receptions and yards in 2025, but Johnson mentions that the veteran receiver doesn’t care about his personal stats and feels his toughness transferred to the rest of the team.

“I’ll use his words: he didn’t care about stats. All he cared about was winning. This is the most winning DJ has ever had, probably since high school. That’s all he cares about. In terms of (the) roster, like I said, we got a lot of decisions to make in figuring that out. I think what stood out about DJ this year is the level of toughness rubbed off on our team. Guys if they were dinged up, like they almost had to go because DJ was going. He was able to fight through a lot. Got a lot of respect for him,” Johnson said, via Jahns.

Johnson on being Williams’ biggest believer and a special player in the NFL: “We haven’t even scratched the surface of what we’re fully capable of yet.” (Fishbain)

Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons made two big moves with their structure, hiring HC Kevin Stefanski after bringing in Matt Ryan as their new president of football. According to Albert Breer, the consultants at Sportology advised owner Arthur Blank to hire a senior officer to oversee their football department, which turned out to be Ryan.
Breer writes that Blank seeing Ryan holding teammates accountable during his time as Atlanta’s quarterback gave the owner confidence that he was the right fit for the job.
Breer reports that Stefanski suggested to Ryan that the two head to the team facility to determine staffing decisions shortly after having dinner at Blank’s house.
As for Atlanta’s general manager job, Breer expects Bears’ executive Ian Cunningham and 49ers’ executive Josh Williams to be in the running.

Panthers

Mike Kaye of the Charlotte Observer examines five contract situations that the Panthers could address this offseason:

Kaye points out that CB Mike Jackson is set to make a salary of $4.25 million in 2026 and “clearly outperformed” that number this season. Now, Carolina must determine if they want to give him a raise and lock him up on a long-term deal.
Carolina G Damien Lewis has a salary of $12.24 million next season, while Kaye thinks he is “inching toward a reward.” Kaye could see them sign Lewis to a short-term extension or restructure his contract.
As for DE A’Shawn Robinson, Kaye writes that he’s carrying a large cap figure of $11.55 million, which could lead to Carolina releasing him or negotiating a short-term extension.
Kaye mentions that cutting TE Tommy Tremble will save $6 million in cap space, which could be used to sign a mid-tier starting center or a stopgap left tackle.
Regarding DT Bobby Brown, Kaye writes that Carolina could theoretically restructure his deal to push some of his $8.03 million cap figure into 2027. In the end, Kaye would be surprised if he’s cut loose.

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