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Now that the Bears' season is over after losing to the Rams 20-17 in the divisional round of the playoffs Sunday, they have big free-agent decisions ahead. One of the most notable names heading to free agency is safety Jaquan Brisker, a 2022 second-round draft pick who has been a starter all four seasons.Brisker was down after the game, regretting the missed opportunity, and said, "The team will look different, and it’s sad because this was a special group. I really care about my teammates and my coaches and this city, and who knows what’s next?” Related Bears coach Ben Johnson: ‘Shame’ to waste great defensive performance in 20-17 playoff loss to Rams That prompted the question of whether he'd be back, to which he replied, "We will see. Hopefully I am, but if not and the grass is greener [elsewhere], God has my back.”Brisker said he "for sure" wants to be a Bear, but that is not totally in his hands.He missed 12 games last season, mostly because of a concussion, but other than that started 15 games each of his first two seasons and all 17 this season. He had 93 tackles, an interception and a sack this season. Latest on the Bears Bears Bears will have 25th pick in this year's draft Their season-ending loss to the Rams on Sunday night locked in their draft position. [month] [day], [year], [hour]:[minute][ampm] [timezone] By Patrick Finley read Bears Bears coach Ben Johnson: 'Shame' to waste great defensive performance in 20-17 playoff loss to Rams The Bears held the Rams below their season averages for points and yards and shut down stars Matthew Stafford, Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. [month] [day], [year], [hour]:[minute][ampm] [timezone] By Jason Lieser read Bears Bears safety Jaquan Brisker, an unrestricted free agent, 'for sure' wants to re-sign Brisker said that’s not entirely up to him, though, and when asked if he’ll be back, he said, “We will see.” [month] [day], [year], [hour]:[minute][ampm] [timezone] By Jason Lieser read

For all the things Caleb Williams still needs to learn, and he’d be the first to say there are empty boxes on his checklist, he has solved one of the Bears’ most maddening problems. They have a franchise quarterback capable of heroics few in the NFL can match.Williams was magical with the game on the line again Sunday in a divisional-round playoff game against the Rams. He threw an unforgettable touchdown pass to force overtime but also had a costly interception that allowed the Rams to win 20-17 on Harrison Mevis’ 42-yard field goal.The Bears’ dream season is over. They’ll spend the offseason intent on building themselves into a championship contender. The Rams moved on to the NFC Championship Game at the Seahawks to play for a trip to the Super Bowl.“It’s a frustration and a fire,” Williams said as he processed the loss. “Not happy about the outcome. Frustrated. But that’s over with, and I can’t go back and change it.‘‘I’m going to go back and watch and figure out how I can be better in the near future and help this organization get where we want to be.”He struggled for a lot of the game but surged late. Sound familiar? And for a brief stretch near the end, it looked like another fairy-tale finish.The Rams took a 17-10 lead with 8:50 left on Kyren Williams’ five-yard run. After the teams traded uneventful possessions, Williams got his opportunity for another daring escape.A shanked punt gave the Bears the ball at midfield with 1:50 left, but their chances dwindled as they hit fourth-and-four at the Rams’ 14-yard line with 27 seconds left.The next play looked like a disaster from the start.Williams was under pressure immediately and scrambled backward to keep it alive. He ran with his back to the play for at least 10 yards and turned around as he backpedaled to the 40-yard line. With three Rams closing in on him, he heaved the ball to the end zone off his back foot.It sailed to tight end Cole Kmet, who was wide open in the back left corner as defensive backs Cobie Durant and Quentin Lake trailed.“That’s ridiculous,” coach Ben Johnson said of the tying touchdown pass. “We talked about the fourth-and-eight [against the Packers], and this one was even another level ahead of that. There’s some things you just can’t coach. He’s got that.”Moments like that make all the growing pains worth it. Williams has made some of the most difficult clutch plays in the NFL this season. Next, he needs to master more of the basics, and he mentioned accuracy and footwork as priorities for this offseason.Williams had a shot to win it after the Bears forced the Rams to punt on the first possession of overtime, making it a sudden-death game. He went 4-for-4 for 32 yards and drove the Bears close to field-goal range at the Rams’ 48-yard line. Then he went deep to DJ Moore, but his throw was short, and Rams safety Kamren Curl dove to pick it off.Williams had a rocky line of 23-for-42 for 257 yards and two touchdowns with three interceptions for a 59.3 passer rating.The interceptions stung — he had never thrown three in a game — and the disappointment was deflating. But the reality for Williams and the Bears was that this was clearly the start of something bigger. Winning the NFC North and making it to the divisional round of the playoffs signified progress toward contending next season.“[Williams has] gotten so much better over the course of the season,” Johnson said. “He’s going to continue to ascend.”He said Williams’ increased comfort level in the offense is evident and “he brings it to life on game day.” It’s not perfect, but this was only Year 1.The most important thing the Bears did this season was to solidify their coach-quarterback pairing. After years of getting that horribly wrong, they have it exactly right with a hard-nosed offensive wizard in Johnson and an ultra-talented, multifaceted weapon in Williams.Johnson has flourished where his wayward predecessors Matt Eberflus, Matt Nagy and John Fox couldn’t, and everything about the way he…

It is another week with no movement at the top as the top 12 teams in the Super 25 remain stable. The upcoming weekend may finally provide some drama. Joe Henricksen's When Sides Collide Shootout on Saturday at Benet matches up the top-ranked Redwings against Warren, No. 2 DePaul Prep against No. 7 Marist and No. 9 Neuqua Valley vs. No. 8 Bolingbrook. However, if the favorites all win it could be another week with very little movement. Cary-Grove and Glenbrook North join the Super 25 this week. It is the debut for both teams this season. Cary-Grove has been on the cusp of the rankings since it knocked off Waukegan back in November. The Trojans have won nine consecutive games. Glenbrook North is a surprise. There wasn't much buzz around the Spartans this season, but they are undefeated in 2026 with wins against Deerfield, Maine South and New Trier. They hung with Fremd in a 47-41 loss at the Wheeling Hardwood Classic. New Trier and St. Laurence each lost two games this week and fall out of the rankings. The Trevians played well without Chris Kirkpatrick initially but have hit a rough patch. Super 25 high school basketball rankings for Jan. 18, 2026With record and last week’s ranking1. Benet (20-1) 1Handled St. Patrick2. DePaul Prep (17-3) 2At Mount Carmel Thursday3. Curie (18-1) 3Rolling thru Red West4. Kankakee (15-1) 4Beat Centennial5. St. Ignatius (19-2) 5Hosts Loyola Friday6. Warren (16-1) 6At Benet Saturday7. Marist (18-2) 7Lost to Webster Groves, Mo.8. Bolingbrook (12-5) 8Very tough week ahead9. Neuqua Valley (18-1) 9Takes on Bolingbrook Saturday10. Evanston (16-3) 10Hosts Loyola Tuesday11. Waukegan (15-5) 11At Lake Zurich Friday12. Homewood-Flossmoor (16-2) 12Healthy again13. Fremd (17-1) 14At Lincoln Park Friday14. Mount Carmel (15-5) 15Beat St. Laurence15. Glenbard East (19-2) 16Michael Nee is on fire16. Loyola (17-4) 17Major rivalry week ahead17. St. Patrick (14-3) 19Played well in Benet loss18. Palatine (17-3) 21Nice three-win week19. Young (15-6) 22Dominating Red North20. Hersey (15-3) 20At Palatine Thursday21. Kaneland (19-0) 23Hosts Naperville Central Tuesday22. Glenbard North (15-3) 24Lived up to ranking 23. York (17-3) 25Faces Hillcrest Saturday24. Glenbrook North (16-5) NRTook down New Trier25. Cary-Grove (18-2) NRConsistently winning

Mother McAuley knew it had to be prepared for a physical game Saturday against St. Charles East.The Saints are strong on the glass and feature one of the best sophomores in the state in forward Brooklyn Schilb. But the Mighty Macs did more than match the physicality; they became the aggressors. They played with a hunger that enabled them to knock off St. Charles East 58-49 in the Coach Kipp Hoopsfest at Maine East.‘‘We had a lot of momentum coming into this game after [beating Providence and DePaul Prep last week], which were two teams that were ranked and we were supposed to lose to,’’ said Mother McAuley sophomore Ava Little, who scored 12 points and grabbed six rebounds.Little was a big reason the Mighty Macs won. She was active in the paint, solid on the glass and a tremendous finisher.It took a team effort to defend Schilb, who had 28 points and 11 rebounds. She has a high motor and is relentless on the glass, as evidenced by her eight offensive rebounds. But Little, Emily Kovar and Lily Costello limited her as best they could.‘‘[Little] can defend one through five,’’ Mother McAuley coach Curtis Lewis said. ‘‘So [when we] put her on the floor, we gain a lot defensively because [even though] we might be smaller, we’re more athletic.’’Senior guard Quinn Arundel had a big day for the Mighty Macs with 19 points, seven rebounds and three steals. She’s Mother McAuley’s engine and wanted to cap an impressive week with another victory.Lewis emphasizes peaking toward the end of the season, and the Mighty Macs certainly seem to be on the right path. They are committed to making the extra pass, willing to draw charges and growing together as a unit. He said they went into the game against St. Charles East with a ‘‘chip on their shoulder.’’‘‘We needed this win, especially [because] we were not the team picked to win,’’ Arundel said. ‘‘It gives us more confidence and [we gained] more grit because we wanted it more than them.’’Mersinger’s standout defenseAs the No. 1 team in the area, much has been said about Benet. From senior center Emma Briggs’ all-around brilliance to senior forward Bridget Rifenburg’s steadiness, the Redwings have one of the best rosters in the area.But in their 61-39 victory against Glenbrook South at Maine East, junior guard Ava Mersinger was impressive. She scored only three points but had five assists, three blocks and a steal in 27 minutes. All her blocks came because she has incredible timing.Briggs scored 19 points and grabbed 17 rebounds, Rifenburg scored 15 points and grabbed eight rebounds and Lucy Tierney added seven points. Senior guard Sailer Jones was out with an injury.Black’s big nightProspect junior forward Zoe Black scored a program-record 42 points, including 11 three-pointers, in a 79-60 victory against Phillips at Maine East.The Super 25, with record and last week’s ranking:1. Benet (18-1) 1Plays Whitney Young Monday2. Loyola Academy (20-2) 3Beat Galesburg3. Naperville Central (18-3) 4Beat Waubonsie Valley4. Nazareth (17-3) 5Beat Maine South5. Waubonsie Valley (19-1) 2Loss to Naperville Central6. Kenwood (18-4) 6Plays Blair Academy Monday7. Mother McAuley (15-4) 16Beat St. Charles East8. Fremd (18-3) 8Plays Marist Monday9. DePaul Prep (17-3) 7Loss to Mother McAuley10. Downers Grove North (20-2) 11Beat Glenbard West11. Marist (18-5) 9Plays Fremd Monday12. Providence (19-3) 14Beat Montini13. Carmel (17-6) 12Beat Lincoln-Way East14. Glenbard West (18-3) 15Plays Wheaton North Tuesday15. Libertyville (16-3) 20Beat Prospect16. Maine South (17-5) 12Loss to Nazareth17. Lyons (14-6) 9Loss to Lake Zurich18. Glenbrook South (15-5) 18Plays Maine South Friday19. Hersey (13-5) 19Plays Lake Central Monday20. Prospect (13-8) 17Plays Maine South Wednesday21. St. Charles East (13-6) 21Loss to Mother McAuley22. Trinity (14-7) 23Plays Oak Park-River Forest Monday23. Bolingbrook (14-3) 22Beat Homewood-Flossmoor24. Bloom (17-2) 24Beat Kankakee25. Lake Zurich (13-7) NRBeat Lyons

Soldier Field got off to a rocking start as Jim Cornelison sang the national anthem before Sunday night’s Bears-Rams divisional playoff game.Cornelison, who sings the anthem and “O, Canada” before Blackhawks games at the United Center, had a national audience when NBC broadcast his rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The Rams and Bears are meeting in the divisional round for a spot in the NFC championship game against the Seattle Seahawks, who won the night of Jan. 17. Los Angeles last played for an NFC title in 2022, the year the Rams won Super Bowl 56. Chicago hasn't been to a conference championship game since 2011, when it lost to the Green Bay Packers. United, loud, and all in. 👏 pic.twitter.com/kXbpknnAfi— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) January 19, 2026 Both teams are coming off tough wild-card round battles to earn a spot in the divisional round. The Rams took down a frisky Carolina Panthers team on the road in a back-and-forth affair, while the Bears won a big comeback victory at home over their divisional rival Packers.Contributing: USA Today Sports Latest on the Bears Bears Bears will have 25th pick in this year's draft Their season-ending loss to the Rams on Sunday night locked in their draft position. [month] [day], [year], [hour]:[minute][ampm] [timezone] By Patrick Finley read Bears Bears coach Ben Johnson: 'Shame' to waste great defensive performance in 20-17 playoff loss to Rams The Bears held the Rams below their season averages for points and yards and shut down stars Matthew Stafford, Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. [month] [day], [year], [hour]:[minute][ampm] [timezone] By Jason Lieser read Bears Bears safety Jaquan Brisker, an unrestricted free agent, 'for sure' wants to re-sign Brisker said that’s not entirely up to him, though, and when asked if he’ll be back, he said, “We will see.” [month] [day], [year], [hour]:[minute][ampm] [timezone] By Jason Lieser read