Bears quarterback Caleb Williams was responsible for three touchdowns in the first half Sunday against the Steelers. Only two were for his own team, though, and the Bears trail the Steelers at halftime, 21-17.
With quarterback Aaron Rodgers ruled out Sunday morning with a broken left wrist, the Steelers started Mason Rudolph, who promptly threw an interception to the Bears’ Nahshon Wright in the first quarter. It was his only incomplete pass of the half. Eight plays later, Williams threw a five-yard touchdown pass to DJ Moore to take a 7-0 lead at Soldier Field.
The Steelers countered with a 95-yard scoring drive which ended in a six-yard touchdown pass from Rudolph to D.K. Metcalf, who later left the game with an ankle injury. The depleted Bears defense struggled in the first half.
Williams made one of his worst plays of the season on the third play of ensuing drive. On second-and-20 from his own 10, Williams dropped back, scanned the field and decided to backpedal into the end zone when he saw Watt coming for him. The edge rusher wrapped up both arms and Williams fumbled it. Nick Herbig fell on the ball for a touchdown. It was Watt’s 25th career strip sack, the most in the NFL since 2017.
DOING WATT HE DOES BEST 🙌 @_TJWatt
📺 #PITvsCHI on @paramountplus pic.twitter.com/3PDkA9HUVN
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) November 23, 2025
Williams finished the half 10-for-21 for 120 yards and a 97.3 passer rating.
The two teams traded lost possessions — D’Andre Swift fumbled the ball away at midfield, and the Steelers were stuffed for no gain on a fourth-and-1 “Tush Push” — Williams drove the Bears 70 yards, converting fourth-and-1 on an eight yard run toward the left sideline and eventually throwing a 12-yard slant pass to rookie tight end Colston Loveland to tie the game
The Steelers lined up in the same “Tush Push” formation on fourth-and-1 with 1:22 to play and instead handed the ball off to running back Kenneth Gainwell, who took the ball from tight end Connor Heyward and ran around the right end for a 55-yard gain. He stumbled into the end zone but put his hand down at the 1. On the next play, the Steelers pitched the ball to Jaylen Warren for a one-yard touchdown.
The Bears responded with 47-yard Cairo Santos field goal as time expired.
After beginning the game without all three linebacker starters, the Bears watched as linebacker Ruben Hyppollite II left with a shoulder injury. The Bears lost cornerback Tyrique Stevenson to a hip injury, too, and guard Jonah Jackson left the game with an eye injury.
