The potential of Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams is truly there, but a lot of work is needed for him to take the next level.
Bleacher Report writer Kristopher Knox named Williams as the Bears' most promising player building block entering 2026. While Knox acknowledges that Williams is a great player, there is one thing he needs to improve.
"It may feel as if Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams has already arrived. He did make a huge jump under first-year head coach Ben Johnson this past season, led Chicago to an NFC North title, and got himself on the cover of Madden NFL 27. However, Williams isn't a finished product just yet. While he was significantly more efficient than he was as a rookie and led an astonishing seven fourth-quarter comebacks in 2025 (including playoffs), he was far from perfect.
Williams actually saw a drop in completion percentage—from 62.5 to 58.1—and his quarterback rating (90.1) ranked just 22nd in the league among qualifying signal-callers and fell just below the league average. The important thing to remember is that Williams has finally begun to meet the expectations that came with being the first overall pick in 2024. The USC product can be better, and he's still waiting to earn Pro Bowl consideration, but he's well on his way to being Chicago's franchise quarterback."
Caleb Williams is the key to the Bears' future with work to be done
Last season was a strong year for Williams as he broke a franchise record for passing yards with 3,942 yards and 27 touchdowns to seven interceptions, with three rushing touchdowns and one receiving score. He also broke an NFL record with seven comeback and game-winning drives during the regular season and playoffs.
Accuracy is always a topic of discussion with Williams, as he regressed in that category last season. Not all of it was on him, though, as the Bears have acknowledged that the wide receivers had too many drops during the season, which showed they didn't help Williams enough last year.
With that being said, this season should go differently for Williams, as he is more comfortable in Johnson's offense with more being added to his plate. The offense is still in very good shape even with DJ Moore being traded, as Williams has Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III, Colston Loveland, D'Andre Swift, and Kyle Monangai to lean on.
Williams needed to last two years to develop and work on the small things to make him a great quarterback. Year 1 doesn't count since he had three different play-callers and a disaster of a team around him, but the stability of 2025 got him back on track entering 2026.
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This franchise will make or break depending on how good Williams is, so they need to make sure he's got everything he needs to be successful. The Bears must continue to focus on helping Williams out, and if they do, a Super Bowl will surely be in their future.
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