The Chicago Bears haven’t been able to say they had the best quarterback in the NFL since before World War II. That was when Sid Luckman strapped that facemask-less helmet and went to work every Sunday. Nobody since he retired has come remotely close to that status. In fact, only two players have made it to a Pro Bowl in the Super Bowl era, and none have received even a single MVP vote. So you can understand why plenty are skeptical that Caleb Williams will be any different. Bears quarterbacks don’t earn such honors.
Except the perception might be changing. Williams accomplished several firsts last season in Chicago. He’s the first to crack 3900 yards passing, posted the most TDs ever in a season by a Bears player with 31, led a franchise-best seven 4th quarter comebacks, and beat Green Bay in the playoffs. Future Hall of Fame defensive tackle Gerald McCoy sees big things on the horizon. The NFL better hope Williams doesn’t learn how to play small ball. If he does, there will be no stopping him.
“Caleb is immensely talented,” McCoy said. “He’s almost overly-talented, what he can do throwing a football and what he can do with his legs. As soon as he gets to the point where he can relax and learn how to simplify the game, Caleb Williams will be the best quarterback in the NFL. Yes, I just said it. He’s that talented.”
Caleb Williams is a demon when stacking completions.
The NFL’s completion percentage bar is typically around 67%. If you’re at or above that mark, you’re playing good football. Across his first two seasons, Williams has done it eight times. In those eight games, he was almost perfect.
| Season | Opponent | Result | Completions / Attempts | Completion % | Passing Yards | Touchdowns | Interceptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | vs. Los Angeles Rams | W 24-18 | 17 / 23 | 73.9% | 157 | 1 | 0 |
| 2024 | vs. Carolina Panthers | W 36-10 | 20 / 29 | 69.0% | 304 | 2 | 0 |
| 2024 | vs. Jacksonville Jaguars | W 35-16 | 23 / 29 | 79.3% | 226 | 4 | 1 |
| 2024 | vs. Green Bay Packers | L 20-19 | 23 / 31 | 74.2% | 231 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | vs. Minnesota Vikings | L 30-27 | 32 / 47 | 68.1% | 340 | 2 | 0 |
| 2024 | @ San Francisco 49ers | L 38-13 | 17 / 23 | 73.9% | 134 | 2 | 0 |
| 2024 | vs. Detroit Lions | L 34-31 | 26 / 40 | 65.0% | 334 | 2 | 0 |
| 2025 | vs. Dallas Cowboys | W 31-14 | 19 / 28 | 67.9% | 298 | 4 | 0 |
| Total | — | 4-4 | 158 / 226 | 69.9% | 1,811 | 15 | 1 |
This is what McCoy was talking about. Getting a player with Williams’ mobility to play like a classic pocket quarterback makes a devastating weapon. It means he can be that traditional guy if necessary, but if defenses choose to attack more aggressively, he has the trump card in his back pocket to scramble out of trouble. We’ve seen the formula work many times.
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- Fran Tarkenton
- Roger Staubach
- Steve Young
- Russell Wilson
- Patrick Mahomes
All are or soon will be in the Hall of Fame. Four of them have rings. The other was in three Super Bowls. That is what awaits Williams if he learns the same lessons they did.
The young man has earned the benefit of the doubt.
It isn’t like Caleb Williams has slogged through two seasons of below-average play. His 7,483 yards and 47 touchdowns are the best totals over back-to-back years any Bears quarterback has ever had. He did this despite serious continuity (and competency) issues with the coaching staff. One would think he’d have a little credibility by this point. Alas, the Bears’ ugly reputation, along with his status as a former #1 overall pick, has elevated expectations to such a degree that even minor flaws are magnified.
Yet that hasn’t stopped current and former players, many of them highly credible like McCoy, from insisting that Williams has the goods. All that is required from fans is patience. Growth doesn’t happen overnight, especially in this league. It almost always comes in stages. You go from okay to good, from good to great, and some might clear the final hurdle, going from great to the best. Bears fans never in a million years believed they’d have a quarterback capable of holding that title. Williams is the closest they’ve ever been.
