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Sports Monday, January 19, 2026 | | |
| | | | | Good morning, Chicago. The Bears had the football just past midfield in overtime. It was sudden death, season on the line, next score wins. The
Bears were painfully close to field-goal range, painfully close to their first NFC championship game appearance in 15 years. And then Caleb Williams lofted a pass deep down the field that Rams safety Kam Curl intercepted. Williams was looking for wide receiver DJ Moore over the middle
on second-and-8 from the Rams 48-yard line. With the pick, a magical season began to slip from the Bears’ grasp. Quarterback Matthew Stafford drove the Rams 54 yards to set up a 42-yard field goal by kicker Harrison Mevis, giving the Rams a 20-17 victory to advance to next week’s NFC championship game against the Seahawks. Bears quarterback Caleb Williams walks off the field after losing the NFC divisional playoff game to the
Rams 20-17 in overtime at Soldier Field on Jan. 18, 2026. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune) For the Bears, a season that nobody saw coming ended in heartbreaking fashion. Once again, things looked bleak Sunday at Soldier Field — until they didn’t. The comeback Bears looked like they were going to do it again. Then, a stunned silence enveloped the home crowd sitting in the snow at Soldier Field. Stay connected with us all day: Sign up for our newsletters to get the latest news in your inbox. And you can follow us on social media: X, Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Threads. Not a Tribune subscriber? Here's our latest offer. | | | | The Chicago Bears made too many small errors in their playoff loss — but it was a remarkable season. Here are Brad Biggs’ 10 thoughts as it comes to an end. | | | | | Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams ran hot and cold in two fateful plays: “It’s a frustration. It’s a fire.” | | | | | There was no victory speech from Ben Johnson on Sunday, only a “crushing” end to the season. The 2025 Chicago Bears took the city on a wild ride. | | | | | Jonathan Toews, the captain of three Chicago Blackhawks championship teams, returns to the United Center on Monday for the first time in nearly three years. | | | | | A little older and a bit grayer, the heroes of the 2016 Chicago Cubs reunited to continue the party from their championship season. | | | | | To honor the franchise’s three World Series championship teams, the Chicago Cubs are creating an archway monument at the Clark Street entrance of Gallagher Way. | | | |
