When the Chicago Bears selected quarterback Caleb Williams number one overall in 2024, it was assumed that he would be the franchise QB, but the fan base in the Windy City has seen this story before, and it usually ends in heartbreak.
That feeling seems to have worn off over Williams' first two seasons, as he appears to be everything advertised about him. He's clutch, has special arm talent, and is a proven winner.
Bleacher Report writer Brad Gagnon thinks the Bears have something in Williams, ranking him 15th in the list of true franchise players in the NFL.
"The top pick of the 2024 draft improved pretty much across the board under the tutelage of Ben Johnson as a sophomore in 2025. He's still not elite, but a 27-to-7 touchdown-to-interception ratio is extremely promising.
Williams also performed well on deep passes, third-down throws and in the fourth quarter of one-score games. He's on track for a breakout third season at age 24."
Caleb Williams might be too low on those rankings for true franchise player
Williams was terrific in 2025, throwing for a franchise record 3,942 yards and 27 touchdowns to just seven interceptions. He added another three scores on the ground and even caught a touchdown pass.
He showed all the elite traits a franchise quarterback needs and more, leading the Bears to an 11-6 season, winning the NFC North, and beating the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Wild Card Game. It might have been a heartbreaking end to the season, but it was the most successful one for the franchise in over a decade.
There are some things that Williams needs to work on if he wants to be considered a top-five quarterback, despite how great he is now. Accuracy is the biggest thing he needs to fix before he can move up; he completed only 58% of his passes last year.
Read more: Caleb Williams haters don't want Bears fans to hear what ex-NFL QB said about him
Bears fans are hopeful that Williams can take the next step in his development and reach the levels of Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen as elite quarterbacks after being ranked the NFL's 10th-best quarterback by league personnel. He's got all the traits and abilities to get there.
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