2025 was a clear indicator that the Chicago Bears have their quarterback of the future in Caleb Williams, a search that has been happening pretty much throughout the franchise's history.
From the franchise record for passing yards in a season to leading the Bears to the NFC Divisional Round, Williams showed all the physical tools to be a great player, but still has to prove he can be a consistent performer. CBS Sports writer Bryan DeArdo released his ranking of NFL quarterbacks across six tiers, and Williams fell into Tier 2, "Borderline Stars."
"Williams' flair for the dramatics included a game-winning touchdown against the rival Packers in the NFC wild-card round. He'll join NFL (and Chicago/Indiana?) royalty if he can lead the Bears to the franchise's second Super Bowl title. More consistent play will be needed if that is going to come to fruition."
More evidence that Caleb Williams is close to being an elite quarterback in the NFL
The arm talent is something that even the "elite" quarterbacks on DeArdo's list can't do. Everyone knows that Williams has all the skills to be one of the best signal-callers in the league for over a decade.
Williams' ranking is more about consistency and doing it year in and year out at a high level. The Bears quarterback is only in his third year in the NFL and has shown good promise early on, but a lot of quarterbacks do, and they end up fumbling their careers away.
At least with the Bears, Williams' head coach, Ben Johnson, is there and will make sure that won't happen. Johnson has worked his magic with Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff, turning him into one of the top guys at his position, and can do the same with Williams.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles has also done a ton of favors for Williams over the last two years by adding talent to the roster. Rome Odunze, Luther Burden, and Colston Loveland are all pass catchers who have a chance to be the best at their positions for a long time, and Kyle Monangai gives them a solid running back in the backfield.
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It all comes down to how Williams looks in 2026 and how he responds to a magical season like he had last year. As long as he continues to do what he does with out-of-this-world passes and protecting the football, Williams will be ready for the next tier and become elite.
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