In what can now be viewed as a good thing, the Chicago Bears loss to the Washington Commanders in Week 8 of this past season may have marked the beginning of several new chapters. For the Commanders, winning on the Hail Mary showed the big moment ability for quarterback Jayden Daniels who would go on to win the 2025 Offensive Rookie Of the Year award, overshadowing Caleb Williams who was picked one spot ahead of him.
For Chicago, the loss to the Commanders would be the beginning of a 10-game losing streak, which would see former head coach Matt Eberflus get fired after a Thanksgiving loss to the Detroit Lions, and the rest was history. As the Bears suffered an extremely disappointing season of losses, coaching mishaps, and an underwhelming season from Caleb Williams and team success, the Washington Commanders made it all the way to the NFC Championship game as Daniels became the darling of the NFL.
With both quarterbacks being the top two picks in the 2024 NFL Draft, the comparisons will remain throughout their respective careers. Daniels has quite the head start on Williams not only with team success, but the overall record between the two, and quite possibly in the offseason moves as well. Given where the franchises are, and how much hype they both have, this could be the making of a big rivalry between the quarterbacks and teams.
For a rivalry to exist, there must be success on both sides and while Washington got the absolute best of Chicago in the 2024 season, the Bears have responded in a big way in the offseason. First, it was landing the hottest commodity on the coaching market in new head coach Ben Johnson, who has built a respectable staff of assistants around him, and then it was time for the roster overhaul, which general manager Ryan Poles has addressed in a big way (pun intended). Making two trades for offensive linemen Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson, the Bears would splash on the first day of free agency, agreeing to deals with center Drew Dalman, and two defensive additions in Grady Jarrett,, and Dayo Odeyingbo.
The NFL offseason confirms a new rival for the Chicago Bears
Not to be outdone by Chicago, the Washington Commanders made two of their own big trades, acquiring former San Francisco 49ers superstar wide receiver Deebo Samuel, and left tackle Laremy Tunsil of the Houston Texans. They would also return veterans, Zach Ertz and Bobby Wagner, two key pieces on both offense and defense. Washington already has the coaching staff in place, with Dan Quinn having incredible success in his first season with the team last year, coupled with offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, the Commanders continue to add to their proven success.
Both Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels will have their careers defined by team success, not individual accolades, and they both are under center for Super Bowl-starved franchises. The Bears have not appeared in a Super Bowl since 2006, while Washington's last appearance in 1992 was also their last championship. Looking back at the first year of each quarterback's career, Daniels seems far and away ahead of Williams, but the optimism is building in Chicago.
If the Bears want to hold their own in the conversation between the two talented quarterbacks, and show the NFL world why they selected Caleb Williams to lead their franchise, they must keep pace. A five win season will not cut it, especially not with the expectations that have come with the hiring of Johnson and overhaul of the roster.
The success of the individual careers of Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels is crucial for their franchises, and while Washington has the step up right now, the Bears can begin to close the gap by putting it all together on the field in the 2025 season. They'll also have a chance at redemption from this past year, as Chicago and Washington will face one another once again, and both teams will get to display their new additions. The rivalry could be a very fun one, but the Bears will have to find success against Washington and throughout the entire season.