The Chicago Bears still have work to do to turn doubters into believers. More specifically, Caleb Williams must take the next step in honing his craft to silence the outside noise, hopefully once and for all.
There's no denying Williams' natural abilities. He can do things most quarterbacks only dream of trying. It's his steadiness, or lack thereof, that has many doubting him — and, by extension, the Bears.
Look no further than the survey Jason Reed of FanSided conducted on the NFL's nine "most overrated players." Based on a "points system" derived from "every NFL Division Site Expert [ranking] their top three" candidates, Williams came in at No. 2.
No one had more first-place votes than Williams. Not even the Denver Broncos' Bo Nix, who topped the list. Take that for what you will.
Of course, Chicago deserves immense credit for breaking through in Year 1 under head coach Ben Johnson, and Williams was in the thick of it all. It's also fair to wonder whether they can replicate the formula that got them to the NFC Divisional Round in 2025, though, which Reed does.
For better or worse, the Bears went as Williams did. He helped mount seven game-winning fourth-quarter comeback drives (including the Wild Card victory over the Green Bay Packers). His erratic play style was also largely why the club was constantly in positions to overcome deficits, however.
"Williams had some truly heroic moments akin to a true franchise quarterback last season," Reed wrote. "He also had some pretty mediocre overall numbers. A lot of the Bears' success last season seemed flukey as well, which doesn't help the narrative."
Why is Bears QB Caleb Williams tabbed the second-most 'overrated' player in NFL?
As Reed alluded to, the highs were skyscraping while the lows were dwarfing and too frequent, as the metrics bear out (pun intended). Williams looked every bit the part of the "generational prospect" many labeled him as coming out of college not long ago, albeit sporadically. The eye test and box score both paint the same picture: steep peaks and valleys
An elite pressure-to-sack rate (9.6 percent) and a strong 5.4 percent big-time throw rate last season highlight Williams' dazzling escapability, playmaking skills and arm talent. He impressively did so despite having the third-most on-target passes dropped (34), suggesting there's room for growth, too.
Nevertheless, Williams' well-chronicled accuracy problems and down-to-down inconsistency still rear their ugly heads more than Bears fans would like. His bottom-of-the-barrel completion percentage (57.3) and below-average passer rating (86.8) leave much to be desired, to say the least. He also trailed only the Jacksonville Jaguars' Trevor Lawrence in batted attempts, with 17.
What must Caleb Williams fix to prove the skeptics wrong?
See the problem? To not only shed the overrated tag but also truly vault into the upper echelon of QBs, Williams has to be more efficient. The first overall pick in the 2024 draft needs to cut out the stretches of volatility and win in more sustainable ways, and he can.
Read more: Bears 2025 draft pick used preseason opener as launching pad for comeback year
Fair or not, Reed noted how Williams is "a victim of his own success both in college and in the pros." The 2022 Heisman Trophy recipient has to reach "MVP-caliber" status and build on the Bears' postseason run this past campaign.
Note: Metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus’ premium stats ($) and include the playoffs.
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