Every year I rank the Bears' top 10 plays of the season. But I didn't think that would do justice to a magical 2025 campaign that was filled with incredible, unforgettable moments. So, this year I decided to rank the top 25 plays of '25.
I will count down those plays throughout this week, five per day, beginning with Monday's version, which consists of plays 25-21. As always, I tried to balance the degree of difficulty with the significance of the play in a winning effort.
Here we go:
No. 25
Week 13 (Nov. 28)
Kevin Byard III's diving interception in Philadelphia
Byard helped the Bears record a 25-16 victory over Eagles on Black Friday with a diving interception. Flushed from the pocket by defensive tackle Andrew Billings and also pressured by defensive tackle Chris Williams, quarterback Jalen Hurts tried to lead receiver A.J. Brown down the sideline. But Byard sprinted from the middle of the field and dove to snare the pass at the Chicago 49. It was the sixth interception of the season for Byard, a 10th-year safety who was named first-team All Pro and voted to the Pro Bowl after leading the NFL with seven picks.
The Bears won the battle of first-place teams at Lincoln Financial Field, extending their winning streak to five and remaining atop the NFC North with a 9-3 record. Byard's interception was one of two takeaways the Bears forced against an Eagles team that had entered the game with an NFL-low six turnovers on the season.
No. 24
Week 17 (Dec. 28)
T.J. Edwards' pick-six in San Francisco
The Bears took a quick 7-0 lead over the 49ers on the game's first play from scrimmage when cornerback Jaylon Johnson jumped a slant route and deflected Brock Purdy's pass intended for receiver Jauan Jennings to Edwards, who returned the interception 34 yards for a touchdown. The veteran linebacker was escorted to the end zone by Byard and defensive end Montez Sweat.
"The pick six by T.J. was huge to get us going," coach Ben Johnson said after the game. "You could really feel the sideline come alive there."
It was the first touchdown of Edwards' seven-year NFL career and the first time the Bears have returned an interception for a TD on the first play from scrimmage since at least 1978. In addition, it was one of two defensive touchdowns the Bears scored in 2025 with the other coming on cornerback Nahshon Wright's 74-yard interception return in the season opener against the Vikings.
No. 23
Week 11 (Nov. 16)
Nahshon Wright's leaping interception in Minnesota
With the Bears leading 10-3 late in the first half, Wright leaped high in the end zone to intercept a J.J. McCarthy pass intended for receiver Jordan Addison. Wright's second interception in as many games against his former team helped the visiting Bears record a 19-17 victory that was their third in a stretch of five straight wins.
Wright appeared in one regular season game in 2024 with the Vikings while spending most of the year on their practice squad. After joining the Bears in 2025, he led the NFL with eight takeaways, tying for the league lead with three fumble recoveries and tying for second with five interceptions while earning Pro Bowl honors for the first time in his five-year NFL career.
No. 22
Week 14 (Dec. 7)
Caleb Williams scrambles and connects with tight end Cole Kmet in Green Bay
Williams escaped the grasp of blitzing safety Evan Williams in the pocket, sprinted to his right and lofted a perfect 26-yard pass down the sideline to Kmet, who hauled it in despite being blanketed by linebacker Isaiah McDuffie.
It was one of several incredible individual efforts by Williams in which the second-year quarterback demonstrated a rare combination of athleticism and arm strength. In 2025, he helped the Bears win seven games they trailed in the final 2:00 of regulation and set a franchise single season passing record with 3,942 yards.
No. 21
Week 15 (Dec. 14)
Jaylon Johnson snatches interception away from Browns receiver in end zone
In his third game back after recovering from midseason surgery, Johnson thwarted a Cleveland drive by swiping a Shedeur Sanders pass away from receiver Jerry Jeudy in the end zone. It was one of the three interceptions by the defense—all in the second half—in a 31-3 rout at Soldier Field that was the Bears' most lopsided win since a 36-7 home victory over the Texans Dec. 13, 2020.
With their sixth win in seven games—coupled with the Packers' 34-26 loss to the Broncos—the Bears (10-4) leapfrogged Green Bay (9-4-1) into first place in the NFC North. The temperature at kickoff was eight degrees, tied for the fourth coldest game since the Bears moved to Soldier Field in 1971.
Upcoming this week:
- Tuesday (plays 20-16)
- Wednesday (plays 15-11)
- Thursday (plays 10-6)
- Friday (plays 5-1)
