Caleb Williams proved many people wrong during the 2025 NFL season. Of course, it helped that the Chicago Bears hired a stud of a young coach and built a fortress around him up front, but the second-year quarterback took advantage of those boosts and avoided a sophomore slump.
Despite an 11-6 finish that won them the NFC North and a postseason victory, a sector of Williams detractors still exists. Was he a perfect player last year? Of course not. Nobody is. But it seems the media is unfairly harsh toward Williams at times because of his status as a No. 1 overall pick.
Analysts like Colin Cowherd, in particular, haven't been the kindest to Williams. Yes, Cowherd acknowledged that Williams grew in his second season, but he agreed with Williams' Pro Bowl snub and brought Tom Brady on his show to dissect Williams' accuracy issues.
Colin Cowherd is suddenly all-abord the Caleb Williams train
Now, Williams isn't above criticism. Bears fans know better than anybody that he has to be way more accurate and decisive in the pocket. But fans also see what makes him unique among other NFL quarterbacks and why he can be special.
Apparently, Cowherd now is, too.
"Caleb Williams may very quickly be the best quarterback," Cowherd said. "You've got to count everything with a quarterback, including the cost. Caleb Williams costs $10 million a year; it's a 3.5% cap hit. Lamar Jackson is going to be a 25% cap hit. If you count mobility, and health, and arm, and lack of turnovers, it's Caleb Williams. I don't care about résumé. 2026 Labor Day weekend, is Caleb Williams the best quarterback in the league?"
All of a sudden, Cowherd is talking about Williams as the best quarterback in the league. In reality, Cowherd's description makes it sound as if he's saying Williams is the most valuable quarterback in the league, not necessarily the best.
Either way, the NFL world just saw what a valuable quarterback can accomplish, as Sam Darnold just won a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks. While Cowherd's point is a nice acknowledgement of the leaps that Williams made in Year 2, it serves more to prove that this is a Super Bowl window.
Chicago has to do all that it can this offseason to position itself for another run in the NFC playoffs; otherwise, when Williams signs that second contract, Ryan Poles and the Bears' front office will have to be even more savvy with how they construct the roster.
Read more: NFL analyst told Caleb Williams exactly what he needed to hear ahead of Year 3
Williams certainly has the potential to become one of the NFL's very elite quarterbacks. Cowherd knows that, too. But as it stands now, he may very well be the most valuable signal-caller that the league has to offer, and Bears fans have to feel excited about that.