The NFL has declined to issue any fine to Los Angeles Rams edge rusher Jared Verse for a late hit on Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams in the divisional playoff loss, a decision that has ignited fury across the city and sent a concerning message about the protection of the franchise’s cornerstone. League officials released their weekly accountability report Saturday without sanctioning Verse, who struck Williams well after a pass was released in the fourth quarter of the Bears’ 2017 defeat. While a flag was thrown during the game, the absence of supplemental discipline is being viewed as a tacit endorsement of dangerous, after-the-whistle play against Chicago’s most valuable asset.
This contentious ruling arrives amid a pivotal offseason for the Bears, one now defined by a potential franchise altering draft prospect, a relentless assault on the team’s coaching staff, and the simmering anger over the league’s inaction. The convergence of these events threatens the stability of a team that just reached the divisional round for the first time in fifteen years. Team officials, led by General Manager Ryan Poles, now face critical decisions that will determine if Chicago can build upon its 2025 success or see its foundation eroded before the 2026 campaign even begins.
At the heart of the league’s controversial verdict is a play that may have altered the trajectory of the Bears’ postseason. With under six minutes remaining and the Bears driving, Williams completed a pass before absorbing a high hit from Verse. The penalty moved Chicago to the five yard line, but the offense stalled four plays later, turning the ball over on downs. The Bears ultimately lost by three points, a margin that has fans and analysts alike questioning the hit’s psychological and physical impact on the game’s final, fateful sequence.
Williams, who was not sacked in the contest, demonstrated notable resilience, finishing the game and a breakout season that has solidified his status as the franchise quarterback. The league’s decision, however, casts a shadow over that toughness, establishing a perilous precedent that such contact carries no financial consequence. Verse, who entered the league in 2024, has a history of league fines, making the lack of punishment for this incident particularly galling for the Bears’ organization and its fanbase.
As this controversy rages, the Bears’ front office is intently focused on the 2026 NFL Draft, where a consensus is forming around their first round selection. With the 25th overall pick, mock drafts from prominent analysts are overwhelmingly projecting the Bears to select Florida defensive lineman Caleb Banks, a 6’6”, 325-pound force who could instantly redefine the team’s interior defensive line. This alignment of need and prospect availability presents a tantalizing opportunity for a defense that struggled mightily against the run last season.
Banks represents the classic high-risk, high-reward prospect. His physical tools are undeniable, featuring a rare combination of gargantuan size and explosive first step quickness that allows him to collapse pockets from the interior. His 2024 season tape showcases a player capable of dominating SEC offensive lines, amassing 21 tackles, seven for loss, and four sacks. For a Bears defense desperate for a disruptive presence in the trenches, his upside is profoundly appealing.
Significant red flags, however, accompany his prodigious talent. Banks missed the majority of the 2025 collegiate season with a foot injury, a major concern for any team considering a first round investment. Scouts have also noted inconsistencies in his run defense, a critical area the Bears must improve. The evaluation for Poles and his staff will boil down to a simple calculus: does Banks’ game-wrecking potential as a pass rusher outweigh the durability concerns and developmental needs in his overall game?
The potential infusion of a talent like Banks underscores a strategic shift in the team’s construction. After two offseasons predominantly dedicated to building an elite offense around Caleb Williams—a unit that finished sixth in scoring and third in total yards in 2025—the directive is now clear. Resources must flow to a defense that too often failed to complement its high-powered counterpart. Securing a defensive anchor like Banks would be a monumental step in that direction.
This period of planning and development is being threatened by external forces seeking to plunder the Bears’ coaching ranks. Fresh off their wild card loss, the Philadelphia Eagles have formally requested permission to interview Bears offensive coordinator Declan Doyle for their vacant OC position. This move comes just weeks after running backs coach Eric Bieniemy departed to become the offensive coordinator in Kansas City, creating worrying instability on head coach Ben Johnson’s staff.
Doyle’s candidacy is a testament to the remarkable success of Chicago’s offense in his first year as coordinator. While Johnson retains play-calling duties, Doyle, at 35 the youngest OC in the league last season, was instrumental in game planning and weekly preparation. His work with Johnson, whom he followed from Denver, helped cultivate an environment where Caleb Williams thrived and the offense operated as a top-ten unit in nearly every major category.
The Eagles’ pursuit presents a formidable dilemma for Doyle and the Bears. For Doyle, the Philadelphia job offers the coveted chance to call plays for an offense stocked with stars like Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley, a clear path to accelerating his career trajectory toward a future head coaching role. For Chicago, his departure would represent a second critical blow to offensive continuity, forcing Johnson to break in a new primary lieutenant and potentially disrupting the synergy with Williams.
Johnson has publicly supported his assistants’ pursuit of advancement, a hallmark of a secure and successful program. Yet, the practical effect of losing multiple key architects in one offseason is undeniable. The Bears’ 2025 breakthrough was built on schematic coherence and strong player coach relationships; replicating that with new faces is a challenge the organization hoped to avoid as it aims for a Super Bowl window.
The confluence of these three storylines—league injustice, draft intrigue, and staff poaching—paints a picture of an organization at a crossroads. The NFL’s ruling on Verse feels like an external slight, a reminder of the battles fought beyond the roster. The Banks speculation represents the promise of the future, a chance to add a transformative talent at a premium position. The Doyle situation embodies the constant internal struggle to maintain excellence in a league designed for parity and predation.
Management’s response to these pressures will define the coming months. Will the league’s decision galvanize the team, fostering a us-against-the world mentality? Will Poles pull the trigger on a physically gifted but medically questionable prospect to supercharge the defense? And can the Bears convince a rising coaching star that his best opportunity remains in Chicago, even without full play-calling autonomy?
For a fanbase that endured a prolonged drought before last season’s thrilling run, this offseason carries a different kind of tension. It is no longer about hope for competence, but the anxiety of maintaining a hard-earned ascent. The foundation, led by Williams and Johnson, is solid. But the structures built upon it—player safety justice, defensive fortifications, coaching staff stability—are facing immediate and severe tests.
The Bears’ war room, coaching offices, and indeed the entire franchise now operate under the weight of these compounded challenges. Every decision is magnified, every loss felt more acutely, because the goal is no longer mere respectability. The goal, unmistakably clear after a taste of playoff success, is a championship. How Chicago navigates this turbulent period protecting its quarterback in spirit if not by league decree, fortifying its roster with calculated gambles, and defending its coaching brain trust—will reveal if it is truly built for the climb ahead.
