NFC Notes: Caleb Williams, Drew Petzing, Kevin Byard, Bears, Lions

NFC Notes: Caleb Williams, Drew Petzing, Kevin Byard, Bears, Lions
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Bears

Bears S Kevin Byard led the league in interceptions for the second time in his career, since doing so with the Titans back in 2017. He feels comfortable with his role in Chicago and is hoping to be back with the team in 2026, yet notes that anything could happen.

“With the success that we all had this season as a team, I think a lot of guys on this team are going to be coveted around this league, honestly,” Byard said, via the Chicago Sun-Times. “And I think the same way the organization is always going to do what’s best for the team, I think I owe that to my family as well.”

“I want to be able to play at a higher level and all that good stuff,” Byard added. “But what motivates me and what drives that is to want to win and try to be the best person, to be the best player, leader, teammate that I could possibly be for this organization — or any organization.”

Bears

Bears QB Caleb Williams said that he wasn’t on the same page as his receivers and said that making sure the two sides connect is a big part of this offseason.

“Like I said, it was just a miscommunication,” Williams said, via ESPN. “Trying to just flatten him off on the safety. Since the other safety was down, I felt like we had enough space over there so I tried to flatten him off. It was just a miscommunication. His route is to go deep and attack that angle, which he did. We thought we were going to go under the safety at that point. It didn’t happen that way.

  • Per Matt Zenitz, Boston College OC Will Lawing is set to leave the team, with the Bears being viewed as a potential landing spot.

Lions

New Lions OC Drew Petzing was drawing praise from HC Dan Campbell for what his offensive gameplan did for QB Kyler Murray back in 2024.

“I really like what they’re doing with him,” Campbell said. *“I think so much of his game when he was coming out of college was, ‘Hey, he’s in the gun, put him in the gun, that’s what he’s done.’ And you’re playing the spread game, which, there’s nothing wrong with that, but this unit comes in, and the approach is a little bit different. Certainly, they’re taking a portion of that, but they’re a little bit heavier in the run game with it, 12-personnel, 13-personnel. And the fact they’ve incorporated under center with it and the heavy runs with boots off of it, really hard action, get him out of the pocket completely, let him see the field, and if it’s not there, you see what he can do with his feet. So, I just think it’s good, man, it’s allowed them to really control the game. … They’re still using the things that he can create problems out of the gun, the...