The Caleb Williams doubters have quieted down after the former No. 1 pick's second season. The Chicago Bears quarterback became an instant star in Ben Johnson's offense, leading his team to its first playoff win in 15 years.
Following his breakout campaign, Williams is already knocking on the door of top-ten QB discussions. The Athletic recently released a ranking of 35 NFL quarterbacks, as voted on by league coaches and front-office executives. Williams tied for the 11th spot, comfortably in "Tier 2" of the rankings. He rose 12 places from his No. 23 ranking a year ago.
Per Mike Sando, "Every player ranked higher than Williams this year commanded at least one Tier 1 vote. Williams had none. Some think that will change."
Bears QB Caleb Williams can build on his breakout season in 2026
As electric as Williams was last season, he still left plenty on the table. His 58.1% completion rate has become the go-to criticism of his doubters this offseason. The number is skewed by drops, but his on-target rate of 69.8% is still near the bottom of the league.
The young QB improved significantly in the second half of the season, though. Four of his top six games in passer rating came in the final seven games of the regular season.
In his second year under Johnson, it's easy to project major improvements from Williams. Continuing his form from the back half of the 2025 season, his numbers should get better across the board.
He'll have largely the same set of weapons surrounding him. While the loss of DJ Moore is noteworthy, the Bears' young pass-catchers should fill in the gap without an issue.
The offensive line is a major question mark. Chicago is relying on Garrett Bradbury and whoever emerges as the starting left tackle to play up to the standard set by the rest of the unit.
Still, with another year under Johnson's offensive scheme, a healthy Rome Odunze and second-year leaps from Luther Burden III and Colston Loveland, this offense should be even more potent than it was last season. The unit was within the league's top ten, but it could easily rise to the top three.
Read more: Dennis Allen's emotional answer says it all about Bears' secondary situation
If their late-game heroics regress a bit, the Bears may win fewer games this year. But that doesn't mean that Williams is finished climbing up league-wide quarterback rankings. This time next year, he could be established as a clear-cut top ten QB in the NFL.
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