Caleb Williams had doubts about coming to the Bears when he was the hottest quarterback in the 2024 draft, and as his rookie season came to its dreary end after a series of firings and defeats, it seemed he was right to be worried.A year later, even after a crushing 20-17 overtime loss to the Rams on Sunday in the divisional round of the playoffs, the vibe was sharply different. Locker cleanout day at Halas Hall on Monday was far less depressing than usual, and the outlook going forward was bright and ambitious.Everything changed for Williams after a season working with coach Ben Johnson and the thrill of the Bears skyrocketing from the bottom of the NFC North to a division title and a playoff victory over the rival Packers, and his mind already was spinning with possibilities.The taste of success, both in his individual improvement and the team’s playoff push, made him hungrier.“You see what championship level is,” Williams said. “You see what you have to do, you figure it out, and when you get knocked down, you get back up. That’s what we’re going to do.“We never stay down. We keep fighting. Bringing that mentality to next year and then finding ways to bring that hunger for all four quarters and every single game is going to be important.”Williams still has substantial work ahead by his own admission, but the Bears have their franchise quarterback. He was up and down throughout the season, but there was meaningful improvement…
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