Chicago Bears star quarterback Caleb Williams is eager to build off his and the club's breakthrough campaign, which is awesome. Yet, he may have no other choice than to put on his cape again — not just to replicate their success, but expand on it.
Williams and the Bears are fresh off an 11-6 effort that yielded their first NFC North title since 2020 and a playoff victory. You'd think the expectation for them is to improve upon their efforts entering Year 2 under rising-star head coach Ben Johnson. They haven't turned everyone into believers, though, namely Austin Mock of The Athletic.
Mock's projection model (subscription required) "compiled all the rosters as they stand after the [2026] NFL Draft and ranked them from best to worst." And by the sound of it, he feels that Williams is going to have to do some heavy lifting. Chicago is notably 17th on the list due to their lack of talent, specifically in key areas — like the skill positions and defense.
"The Bears' magical run last season was a bit of fool's gold, but I still might be higher than most on Caleb Williams' fit in Ben Johnson's offense," Mock wrote. "However, Williams needs to find more down-to-down consistency. [Tight end] Colston Loveland's emergence should help on that front, but Chicago's running backs and wide receivers are somewhat unproven. ... On the other side of the ball, it's all bad."
Bears' unproven roster quietly puts enormous pressure on Caleb Williams
The "Cardiac Bears" were impressively cool, calm, and collected in 2025, posting seven game-winning fourth-quarter comebacks (including postseason games). That's not exactly a replicable formula to thrive, especially with heightened expectations. Mock seemingly believes Chicago's set to regress because they haven't surrounded Williams with enough pieces to maintain their status as a contender.
Yes, the Bears overhauled their secondary and linebacker corps. The back end of their stop unit still has questions, nonetheless, and the group up front remains a work in progress, per Mock. Moreover, while trading veteran wideout DJ Moore fetched an exciting haul, his departure left them with a talented cast, albeit with inexperienced pass catchers.
Read more: Dillon Thieneman (continues) to look like the dream draft pick for Bears
All eyes will be on Williams and the Bears in the upcoming season. They have a chance to make a statement, assuming the 2024 No. 1 overall pick can take another step forward.
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