LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Caleb Williams have gotten to know Bears general manager Ryan Poles well over the course of this season. They had obviously met a few times during the pre-NFL-draft process, when Poles was contemplating how to use the No. 1 overall selection.

The real process of getting to know Poles happened after that, watching him work up close creating the roster of which Williams stands as a focal point. He has been impressed by Poles to this point. Williams is obviously invested in moves made around him, with at least four more seasons contractually bound to the Bears. If he plays well, Williams could be around a lot longer than that.

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While the team’s current seven-game losing streak has taken it’s toll, Williams remains confident in the Bears future and the man charged with making upgrades.

“You get to be around him in the same facility and things like that and him not just maybe stopping by the school, whatever the case may be, calling you on draft day and things like that,” Williams said during his Thursday press conference. “And so being able to be in person and being able to be around him in the building it builds that relationship that we have in all faith and belief in those people upstairs. They’ve been doing a good job, a great job, and to continue that.”

That praise stood out, especially considering the Bears are playing below expectation and have weathered the in-season firings of offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and then head coach Matt Eberflus.

Team president Kevin Warren said in no uncertain terms that Poles would remain at Bears GM moving forward, so these struggles that got coaches canned won’t impact Poles’ employment status.

There’s confidence in him from the executive level. And, after hearing Williams speak, there’s clearly confidence in him from the locker room.

“I’m not in there asking him questions about who, what,” Williams said. “I’m not in there discussing further plans and things like that with him. Like I said before it’s not my job but from my perspective and the player being here now for a good little minute you see how much he cares about the right things, that being us in our development and all of those things, I think him leaning in those things helps show us as players that he does care and that he does want to win and is trying to find ways to win.

“It’s just like playing quarterback – it’s a hard job being able to predict the future and making sure you get the right people here but I think he’s, so far, done a good job. He’s gotten people here like Keenan (Allen). He’s gotten people here like Rome (Odunze), myself, a bunch of others, I can keep naming … Jaylon Johnson, well Jaylon was already here. Dre Swift. (I could) keep going on with a list of people. He’s done a good job.”

Poles has important work to do this offseason, with the losing streak exposing issues with the roster. The Bears desperately need depth and talent along the defensive line, where the pass rush and run defense have fallen on hard times. The interior offensive line needs some help as well, at center and right guard specifically.

Poles has three high selections in the NFL draft – one in the first round and two in the second – and it’s possible all of them could be in the top 40. They’ll also have a hefty amount of salary cap space, in the top third of the league, per OverTheCap.com.

There’s a chance for the Bears to be far better in 2025, assuming Poles does his job well acquiring talent and nailing the hire of the next Bears head coach.

Williams believes he’ll do exactly that.

“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. “That’s my short answer to it.”