QB · CHI
general
Bears QB Caleb Williams ranks No. 51 in NFL Top 100
Caleb Williams’ ranking in the NFL Top 100 has been revealed. @jacobinfante24 has more:
Caleb Williams
QB · CHI · 24 yrs · exp 2 · USC
Status
- Game status
- Active
Keep Trade Cut (SF TEP)
From latest snapshot · trend vs ~7d prior when data allows.
Value
7,920
Rank
#10
Pos rank
#3
7d trend
-0.4% (7d vs prior)
Value history (90d)
One snapshot point per calendar day (shown in your timezone).
Latest: Jul 24, 2026 · 7,920
News
Stories linked to this player — newest first.
general
NFL Futures Markets: Burrow Again Creates Major MVP Liability
Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here . Futures market bettors just can't resist the thought of Joe Burrow delivering a monster season. Joe Burrow is the most-bet MVP candidate by tickets and handle, creating a big liability. Bettors were all over Burrow last summer as well, but an injury cost him nine games. Only Chargers QB Justin Herbert is taking more money in the MVP market. As NFL training camps open this week, the Cincinnati Bengals quarterback is BetMGM's biggest liability in the MVP market, the same status he held last summer. Burrow's 2025 season was derailed by a turf toe injury that cost him nine games and any chance of winning the league's top individual award. Nearly a quarter of the handle last August was on the QB. Bettors love the talent. Burrow has thrown for over 4,000 yards three times in his career and has arguably the best receiver tandem in the league in Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins . However, Burrow has only played 16 games or more in three of his six seasons. This year, bettors are hoping for a better return on their investment. Burrow, with odds of +1,000, is getting a market-high 13.9% of the tickets and 13.3% of the handle, second among listed candidates, in BetMGM's latest futures release. Only Justin Herbert, at 20% of the money, is attracting more handle than Burrow, but the Los Angeles Chargers quarterback comes with slightly lesser odds of +900 with 5.8% of the tickets. Market favorite Josh Allen is +600. The Buffalo Bills signal-caller is getting 5.2% of the bets and 4.4% of the handle. Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams (+1,200) is receiving a notable 10.5% of the tickets and 8.7% of the money. Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes is tied with Burrow on the odds list at +1,000, but coming off of a knee injury, the two-time MVP is only getting 5% of the tickets and 6% of the handle. Broncos passer Bo Nix has seen the most action among long shots of +3,000 or longer, getting 5.4% of the bets, but he's only taken 3.7% of the handle. No non-quarterbacks have reached 2% of the tickets or 1% of the money, but Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs is the +750 odds leader to win Offensive Player of the Year, getting 12.6% of the tickets and 24% of the handle, the most of any player in the market. With A.J. Brown now in New England , Philadelphia Eagles receiver DeVonta Smith is BetMGM 's biggest liability to be named top offensive player. With enticing odds of +6,600, he's getting 6.5% of the bets and 6.3% of the handle. L.A. Rams pass-rusher Myles Garrett is the +400 favorite and commands the most tickets and money in the Defensive Player of the Year market, but Houston Texans edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. is a bigger liability with odds of +800 and 13.9% of the bets and 16.1% of the handle. Mahomes (+185) is getting an incredible 48.1% of the money to win Comeback Player of the Year, but Cleveland Browns QB Deshaun Watson (+5,000) is BetMGM's biggest liability in the market. Seattle Seahawks running back Jadarian Price is the most-bet player to win Offensive Rookie of the Year at +750, while his former Notre Dame teammate, Arizona Cardinals running back Jeremiyah Love, is the +300 favorite. Cardinals passer Carson Beck is the biggest liability with odds of +3,000. Bettors are all over Miami Dolphins linebacker Jacob Rodriguez to be named Defensive Rookie of the Year. He's getting 14% of the tickets and 19.2% of the handle, both most of any player, with odds of +2,000, while New York Jets pass rusher David Bailey is the +500 favorite. This article originally appeared on Covers.com , read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos
general
NFL Futures Markets: Burrow Again Creates Major MVP Liability
Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here . Futures market bettors just can’t resist the thought of Joe Burrow delivering a monster season. Joe Burrow is the most-bet MVP candidate by tickets and handle, creating a big liability. Bettors were all over Burrow last summer as well, but an injury cost him nine games. Only Chargers QB Justin Herbert is taking more money in the MVP market. As NFL training camps open this week, the Cincinnati Bengals quarterback is BetMGM’s biggest liability in the MVP market, the same status he held last summer. Burrow’s 2025 season was derailed by a turf toe injury that cost him nine games and any chance of winning the league’s top individual award. Nearly a quarter of the handle last August was on the QB. Bettors love the talent. Burrow has thrown for over 4,000 yards three times in his career and has arguably the best receiver tandem in the league in Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins . However, Burrow has only played 16 games or more in three of his six seasons. This year, bettors are hoping for a better return on their investment. Burrow, with odds of +1,000, is getting a market-high 13.9% of the tickets and 13.3% of the handle, second among listed candidates, in BetMGM’s latest futures release. Only Justin Herbert, at 20% of the money, is attracting more handle than Burrow, but the Los Angeles Chargers quarterback comes with slightly lesser odds of +900 with 5.8% of the tickets. Market favorite Josh Allen is +600. The Buffalo Bills signal-caller is getting 5.2% of the bets and 4.4% of the handle. Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams (+1,200) is receiving a notable 10.5% of the tickets and 8.7% of the money. Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes is tied with Burrow on the odds list at +1,000, but coming off of a knee injury, the two-time MVP is only getting 5% of the tickets and 6% of the handle. Broncos passer Bo Nix has seen the most action among long shots of +3,000 or longer, getting 5.4% of the bets, but he’s only taken 3.7% of the handle. No non-quarterbacks have reached 2% of the tickets or 1% of the money, but Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs is the +750 odds leader to win Offensive Player of the Year, getting 12.6% of the tickets and 24% of the handle, the most of any player in the market. With A.J. Brown now in New England , Philadelphia Eagles receiver DeVonta Smith is BetMGM ’s biggest liability to be named top offensive player. With enticing odds of +6,600, he’s getting 6.5% of the bets and 6.3% of the handle. L.A. Rams pass-rusher Myles Garrett is the +400 favorite and commands the most tickets and money in the Defensive Player of the Year market, but Houston Texans edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. is a bigger liability with odds of +800 and 13.9% of the bets and 16.1% of the handle. Mahomes (+185) is getting an incredible 48.1% of the money to win Comeback Player of the Year, but Cleveland Browns QB Deshaun Watson (+5,000) is BetMGM’s biggest liability in the market. Seattle Seahawks running back Jadarian Price is the most-bet player to win Offensive Rookie of the Year at +750, while his former Notre Dame teammate, Arizona Cardinals running back Jeremiyah Love, is the +300 favorite. Cardinals passer Carson Beck is the biggest liability with odds of +3,000. Bettors are all over Miami Dolphins linebacker Jacob Rodriguez to be named Defensive Rookie of the Year. He’s getting 14% of the tickets and 19.2% of the handle, both most of any player, with odds of +2,000, while New York Jets pass rusher David Bailey is the +500 favorite. This article originally appeared on Covers.com , read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos
analyst
Zavion Thomas Could Emerge as Valuable Gadget Player in Chicago
Chicago Bears rookie third-round wide receiver Zavion Thomas could emerge as "a valuable gadget player on offense" in Chicago in his first year in the NFL while also contributing his 4.28-second 40-yard-dash speed as a returner on special teams, according to Courtney Cronin of ESPN. Cronin questions whether head coach Ben Johnson has his next Jahmyr Gibbs, especially after the versatile speedster made plays during the offseason program and was labeled "electric" by teammates as he enters his first year in the league. The 21-year-old out of LSU obviously has big-play abilities because of his high-end speed, but in terms of playing time in his rookie season, that's going to be hard to come by with Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III and Kalif Raymond, and tight end Colston Loveland ahead of him on the depth chart. But if Thomas impresses as a gadget player early on, Johnson will surely manufacture more touches for him. For now, Thomas is merely a deep dynasty/keeper stash who will see most of his playing time on special teams
QB · CHI
general
NFL offseason power rankings: No. 11 Chicago Bears are either on the rise or going to regress in a big way
The NFL can be simple at times. You win, you get celebrated. You win in the playoffs, you get celebrated even more. Yet, unlike the other major professional sports, the NFL operates with a small sample size. It's hard for a Major League Baseball team to overperform what it truly is over 162 games, but an NFL team can ride a wave of good luck for 17 games. There's probably not a fan base more excited for the 2026 season than the Chicago Bears . Not the Rams, Seahawks , Patriots or anyone else. The Bears have been waiting a while for a winner, and last season was a blast. The Bears went 11-6, won the NFC North, had two unbelievable wins at home against the hated Packers , including one in the playoffs, and then a week later nearly knocked off a Rams team that everyone will be picking to win this season's Super Bowl. Caleb Williams had some incredible highlights that will be replayed for a long time. Ben Johnson looked like the genius head coach everyone thought he could be. Nobody wants to call the cops to break up a party. It's fun to think that the Bears have now arrived and the exciting duo of Johnson and Williams will keep them relevant for the next decade and that the next step is being a true Super Bowl contender. And maybe that will happen. It's also fair to wonder if what the Bears did was sustainable. People can scream that stats are for losers , and those folks might want to skip ahead a few paragraphs. Because we're going to start the list of regression indicators the Bears will be battling. Play Yahoo's new College Fantasy Football game: Create or join a league now! First, the Bears were an NFL-best +22 in turnover margin, which was five better than any other team and nine better than third place. That's almost impossible to replicate. A team's Pythagorean win total measures how a team typically finishes given its point differential. The Bears had a +26 point differential and a three-win gap between their adjusted Pythagorean win total and actual win total, according to TheOddsBreakers.com , That was the highest mark in the NFL. Their point differential was third-best in the NFC North, and among all playoff teams only the Steelers and Panthers were worse. The Bears had eight wins, including playoffs, in one-score games. A great record in close games can be a bit lucky and change quickly, as the Chiefs can attest. The Bears needed a blocked field goal to beat the Raiders , might have lost to the Giants at home had Jaxson Dart not missed the fourth quarter with a concussion (they trailed 20-10 when Dart was ruled out), needed a last-minute touchdown to beat Joe Flacco and the Bengals and barely beat other mediocre teams, like the Commanders and Vikings. The Bears had the seventh easiest schedule in the NFL last season ( via DVOA ), and this season it will be the sixth toughest ( via SharpFootball.com ). DVOA had the Bears as the 16th best team last season. Net yards per play had them tied for 17th. The Bears were 11th in offensive success rate but 26th in defensive success rate. Pick an advanced stat and it will likely say that the Bears were closer to middle of the NFL pack than a true top 10 team. Bears fans would probably argue that Johnson, Williams and some exciting young talent will keep the team moving forward. And it's a good argument. Johnson came in with a swagger and backed it up. Williams still needs to be more accurate, but the upside for the 2024 No. 1 draft pick is obvious after some thrilling moments and memorable comebacks last season. It wouldn't be a big surprise if he has an MVP season in his future. Young skill players like Luther Burden III , Rome Odunze and Colston Loveland should help keep the offense running smoothly for a few years. That's part of what makes the NFL so interesting. Sometimes, teams like the 2025 Commanders (or the 2018 Bears, with Matt Nagy winning NFL Coach of the Year) can't fight the regression they're facing and crash hard . Other teams use a surprising breakou [... truncated ...]
general
Which Chicago Bears position group are you most confident in?
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Throughout the year, we ask questions of the most plugged-in Chicago Bears fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys. Like many, the first thought I had on this topic was tight end. After all, Colston Loveland seems primed for the Pro Bowl this season, Cole Kmet has a decent chance at breaking the franchise reception record for a tight end this year, and rookie Sam Roush was called the best blocking tight end in the draft. The Bears’ 13 personnel could be deadly in 2026. But then I started thinking about the quarterback room. Sure, if QB1 were to go down, the season would be in jeopardy, and the offense would need to change, but that can be said for just about every other team around the league. I’m also extremely confident that Caleb Williams is going to take another step in 2026. I’m also confident that Tyson Bagent would be able to perform better than most QB2s around the NFL (especially with Ben Johsnon calling the shots). And Case Keenum has 66 starts under his belt, which makes him one of the, if not the most experienced QB3s in the NFL. Sound off in the comment section and vote in this week’s poll! Sign up for a user account and get: Fewer ads Create community posts Comment on articles, community posts Rec comments, community posts New, improved notifications system!
QB · CHI
QB · DET
general
Lions News: Kelvin Sheppard was the talk of the NFL this offseason
While Detroit Lions defensive coordinator heads into 2026 with plenty to prove, the young coach has apparently already drawn a lot of attention from other team’s coaches and general managers. Over at The Athletic, NFL reporter and analyst Jordan Rodrigue put together a list of assistant coaches from every team who could break out in 2026. Not only did she list Sheppard as her choice for the Lions, but she added a pretty interesting note from earlier this offseason. “At league meetings in the spring, Sheppard was among the assistant coaches drawing buzz among head coaches and general managers,” Rodriguez wrote. “His energy, apparent buy-in from players and increased experience in the role in his second season have both Sheppard and the Lions’ defense set up well for a bounce-back 2026.” It’s easy to forget amidst Detroit’s second-half slide last year that early in 2025, Sheppard was getting a ton of praise for producing a top-five defense in the first half of the season. This offseason, he drew an interview for the Miami Dolphins head coaching job and believes he was close to landing the gig . But despite the hype this offseason, Sheppard still has a lot to prove entering just his second year as an NFL coordinator. While he certainly has the personality and leadership qualities of a good coach, he’ll have to put together a full, strong season of defensive play-calling, scheme adjustment, and player development to turn that hype into actual opportunities. Onto the rest of today’s Notes: Our Feed Post of the Day comes from CubsLionsFanInCali, who continues a discussion from this week’s PODcast, and questions whether Caleb Williams will every truly be a top-10 quarterback in this league: Jared Goff joined the NFL Network show “The Insiders” for a brief interview. I’ll have a write-up on one interesting thing he said, but if you want to get a head start, you can watch the whole thing here: One Detroit Lions fan, Joel Walkowski, wrote a book about the life of a Lions fan and how it shaped him as a person. The Detroit Free Press has a story about Walkowski here , and the book—entitled “ Honolulu Blues: How Loving a Losing Team Created a Winning Man”— is available for purchase here . Here’s a fun video of Lions players trying to convey their football position (or desired position) wordlessly: CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan posted best and worst-case scenarios for every NFL team . It’s not very specific in what that looks like, but it’s an interesting conversation nonetheless
general
NFL's most overrated and underrated quarterbacks entering 2026: Caleb Williams, Dak Prescott headline list
Quarterbacks make the football world go round. Every NFL season possesses quarterbacks that break out to ascend to new heights, like 2025 NFL MVP runner-up Drake Maye , as well as new lows like Minnesota Vikings 2024 10th overall pick J.J. McCarthy , a passer who ranked dead last in completion percentage (57.6%), touchdown-to-interception ratio (11-12) and passer rating (72.6) in 2025. So, which quarterbacks' respective values are a little overinflated or underinflated entering 2026? Here is a look at some of the top selections for the most overrated and underrated quarterbacks, including the "Madden NFL 27" cover man. Caleb Williams is the NFL's biggest rollercoaster passer. The highs can be incredibly high. He helped lead the Bears back from a franchise-record 18-point deficit in a 31-27 wild-card round win over the archrival Green Bay Packers , and he helped force overtime against the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round with a miracle, fourth-down touchdown heave. Those miracle plays, and his 3,942 yards passing to set Chicago's single-season passing yards record, positioned him to be on the cover of "Madden NFL 27" this summer. However, the high level of universal praise for Williams as the first Bears quarterback with a pulse since, perhaps, the pre-2010 NFC championship game Jay Cutler is a little much. The reason Chicago fell behind in both of their 2025 playoff games and lost in overtime to the Rams is because of Williams' inefficiency. He morphed into a turnover machine in the postseason, throwing two interceptions while completing just 24 of his 48 passes (50%) in the win against the Packers before throwing three more interceptions on 23 of 42 passing (54.8%) against Los Angeles. The third interception against the Rams came in overtime and doomed the Bears to defeat. That extreme level of inefficiency in the postseason wasn't an outlier. He led the NFL in 2025 with 12 games possessing a completion percentage of 60% or lower, and no other quarterback registered a double-digit number of games in that category. Cam Ward was the closest with eight such games. The Bears' signal caller finished the 2025 regular season with a 58.1% completion percentage, the second-worst in the league among 33 qualified quarterbacks. He finished ahead of only Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy and his 57.6% figure -- one that was so bad they brought in Arizona Cardinals castoff Kyler Murray to compete with their former 10th overall pick quarterback for the starting job. Williams' fundamentals still need plenty of polishing. Williams' potential is tantalizing because he clearly possesses a high ceiling thanks to phenomenal arm talent and mobility. However, the hope and buzz about Williams currently outpace the reality of his latest on-field performance last season. Bo Nix is an incredibly unique quarterback. He led the NFL with 612 passing attempts in 2025, but he failed to crack 4,000 yards passing, thanks to an average of 6.4 yards per attempt that ranked 28th among 33 qualified quarterbacks. That average was sandwiched in between washed versions of Aaron Rodgers (6.7 yards per pass attempt) and Kirk Cousins (also 6.4 yards per pass attempt). Nix's inconsistencies helped produce sluggish victories against the Kansas City Chiefs ' third-string quarterback, Chris Oladokun , on Christmas in Week 17 (20-13), and a 19-3 home win over the Los Angeles Chargers ' backups. The young quarterback's lumps directly led to Denver struggling to consistently drive the football down the field. Three of the top four teams with the most punts in the 2025 regular season -- the Browns (93), Titans (78) and Raiders (74) -- missed the playoffs and fired their respective head coaches . The fourth team in that group is Nix's Broncos, with 75 punts. He benefits from a strong offensive line and a strong defense. Add in the ankle injury, and it will be interesting to see what happens next in his career. In Baker Mayfield's first two seasons wit [... truncated ...]
analyst
Colston Loveland has Top-50 Potential
Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland is looking to build off a strong rookie campaign. The 22-year-old registered 58 receptions, 713 receiving yards, and six touchdowns in 16 games with the Bears last season. Like many rookies, Loveland was eased into the mix, but it didn't take him long to surpass Cole Kmet on the depth chart. He's now expected to take on a larger workload with D.J. Moore out of the picture and a full season with Caleb Williams already under his belt. Loveland finished as the TE12 and outside the top-100 last season, but the sky is the limit for him. Brock Bowers and Trey McBride are likely going to be selected ahead of him, but Loveland as the TE3 isn't crazy. The departure of Moore should free up more chances for him in 2026. A finish inside the top-50 seems possible if everything goes right for Loveland next season
general
Random Ramsdom: Matthew Stafford still’s got the comeback magic
Matthew Stafford is still one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL when it comes to putting together go-ahead drives. He’s been pulling off comeback magic basically his whole career. Will Stafford be able to do it again? And here’s another reality, the Los Angeles Rams have lost their last few playoff games by failing to take a lead late in the game. That happened against the Detroit Lions , the Philadelphia Eagles and last year against the Seattle Seahawks . Of course, to be fair, the defense and or special teams haven’t quite held up their end in some cases either. Still though, there is an argument to be made that the Rams have been just one more drive away from putting together some special seasons the last few years, and they’ve come up short. That’s not exactly on Stafford, but it does show that Stafford needs more than just his own magic to go on another Super Bowl run. He needs the team to back him up too. Please comment on whatever you want and thank you for checking out Turf Show Times! “Matthew Stafford was at his best in 2025 exactly when the Los Angeles Rams needed him most. Stafford led all NFL quarterbacks in expected points added per dropback while trailing in the second half at +0.45, per Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis , ahead of Jordan Love (+0.31), Bo Nix (+0.28), Josh Allen (+0.28) and Caleb Williams (+0.27).“ “As training camp approaches for the Los Angeles Rams , all anyone is talking about is Aaron Donald’s future. The former All-Pro defensive tackle is considering a return to football, which would end his two-year retirement in order to chase another Super Bowl ring. There’s no clear timeline for a decision to be made, and it could even spill into the regular season, but the Rams aren’t going to rush or push him. Donald hasn’t spoken publicly about his plans, only telling Pat McAfee and Jordan Schultz last month that he’s considering a comeback.“ “Every season in the NFL produces performances that feel less like a single game and more like statistical outliers — explosive outings where quarterbacks pile up passing yards, running backs break off long scoring runs, and receivers turn routine targets into multi-touchdown afternoons. These are the kinds of games that separate good fantasy weeks from historic ones. Stacker compiled a ranking of the best fantasy performances in Los Angeles Rams history using data from Stathead . The list includes the highest single-game fantasy scores by quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers/tight ends across the franchise’s history, based on standard fantasy scoring.“
general
Ben Johnson: D'Andre Swift is already a vital part of Bears' offense, and capable of more
Bears coach Ben Johnson believes running back D'Andre Swift is capable of even more than his career-high rushing yards and nine touchdowns last season, calling him a "vital part" of the offense and a "dynamic player" with the ball in his hands
general
Ben Johnson: D'Andre Swift is already a vital part of Bears' offense, and capable of more
Bears coach Ben Johnson praised running back D'Andre Swift, calling him a "vital part" of the offense and believing he is "capable of more" than his career-high 1,087 rushing yards and nine touchdowns last season. Johnson, who previously coached Swift with the Lions, highlighted Swift's dynamic playmaking ability
QB · CHI
general
NFLPA tries to shame owners into embracing grass fields
The NFL Players Association has launched a social media campaign, #WorthTheCost, urging NFL owners to install high-quality grass fields in all stadiums. While many players prefer grass, the article suggests that prioritizing it in the next CBA negotiations might require players to concede on other issues, such as financial matters or splitting the installation and maintenance costs
QB · CHI
RB · IND
general
NFL players want more grass fields after World Cup
A significant portion of NFL players, citing player health and preference, are campaigning for the league to adopt more natural grass fields, similar to those temporarily installed for the World Cup. Currently, half of NFL stadiums use artificial turf, which data suggests is harder on the body than grass
QB · CHI
general
Caleb Williams, other NFL players pining for grass surfaces that are being uprooted following World Cup matches
The #WorthTheCost tag is a clear shot across the NFL's bow, indicating that the players believe NFL team owners simply don't want to spend the extra money for player happiness. Now we find out if their voices are being heard
WR · BUF
QB · CHI
general
Eagles schedule preview: Bears
When and where: Week 3 in Chicago, Monday Night Football Key additions: C Garrett Bradbury , S Coby Bryant, LB Devin Bush , DT Neville Gallimore Key subtractions: WR DJ Moore, LB Tremaine Edmunds , S Kevin Byard , S Jaquan Brisker , CB Nashon Wright Last season: A new, offensive minded head coach and a high draft pick QB he inherited won the NFC North, just like when Matt Nagy and Mitchell Trubisky did it in 2018 The question for this team: Can the Bears defy gravity? The Bears had four straight seasons of double digit losses from 2021 to 2024, then went 11-6 in 2025. Teams that have that kind of bounce tend to fall back down the next year. That they had a new head coach and won a playoff game doesn’t give them waterproofing, the 2024 Commanders , 2022 Giants, and 2022 Jaguars are recent examples of teams with new head coaches who went from horrible to a playoff win and then right back to irrelevance the next season. There’s an obvious major regression coming. The 2025 Bears defense led the league with 33 takeaways, including a league leading 23 interceptions, which is another way of saying that the 2025 Bears defense was incredibly lucky. Even with those stoppages, they still finished 23rd in scoring, 29th in yards, 25th in completion percentage, 28th in yards per attempt, 28th in TD%, 20th in sack rate, 22nd in pressure rate, 24th in QB hits, 29th in rushing yards per attempt, 22nd on 3rd down, 15th in the red zone…. takeaway the takeaways and this defense was garbage, it had nothing to lean on when it couldn’t get the ball. The Bears did make some key changes, the top four defenders in snaps played all left in free agency. But none of their imports were transforming additions, and none of them address their pass rushing woes. Are some new faces in the secondary and a presumably healthier team going to be enough to negate the drop off in takeaways? On offense, Caleb Williams needs to play better. His hero ball moments were exciting, and his fantasy football numbers were solid: 7th in yards, 6th in TDs with 388 yards and 3 TDs as a runner. But he completed just 58.1% of his passes, half a percentage point ahead of JJ McCarthy for 32nd out of 33 qualified QBs. He was 21st in yards per attempt, and having the 4th best sack rate in 2025 is unsustainable for his style of play. He had just six games with a completion percentage in the 60s, and half of them were the first three games of the season. In two playoff games he threw five interceptions, and barely completed half his passes. The Bears pathway to repeating as a playoff team, possibly even NFC North champs again, feels pretty easy: Caleb Williams takes a big step in year two under Ben Johnson. Their pathway to going right back to out of contention by Thanksgiving also feels pretty easy: the defense can’t stop anyone and the offense continues to rely on unsustainable hero ball moments, and they aren’t there
general
How will one more season with Ole Miss impact QB Trinidad Chambliss’ NFL-readiness?
When it comes to the 2027 quarterback class, hope springs eternal. Especially after a 2026 class that produced two first-rounders in Fernando Mendoza and Ty Simpson , and a 2025 class that produced two in Cam Ward and Jaxson Dart , the NFL prayer is that the 2027 group of signal-callers is more like the 2024 version, when there were three taken with the first three picks, six in the top 12, and four legit NFL starters in Caleb Williams , Jayden Daniels , Drake Maye , and Bo Nix . Even the relative stragglers (Michael Penix Jr. and J.J. McCarthy) haven’t run entirely out of road when it comes to their NFL potential. Ostensibly, the 2027 class looks absolutely ridiculous from a tools and potential perspective. We could have Texas ’ Arch Manning , Oregon ’s Dante Moore , Ohio State’s Julian Sayin , Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss, South Carolina ’s LaNorris Sellers , Oklahoma State’s Drew Mestemaker , Notre Dame’s C.J. Carr, and Texas Tech’s Brendan Sorsby (depending on how Sorsby is affected by recent gambling allegations) all fighting to rest atop next year’s QB draft listings, and there are ways in which each one could do it. Not to mention the fact that there will be a surprise interloper who comes out of nowhere to show NFL potential. That’s at least eight quarterbacks for NFL teams to consider next year. Of course, we also know that not every sure-thing prospect will ultimately become that even before he’s drafted; we’ve all seen the super-hyped guys fall down when they get hit without a plan. The idea with this series is to evaluate each of the prominent future prospects with one eye on what they’ve already done, and the other on what they need to do in order to reach their ultimate ceiling. We continue the deep dive with Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss, who fought to stay in school despite a 2025 season that had him as a more than credible NFL prospect. Last season, Chambliss completed 294 of 448 passes (65.6%) for 3,934 yards (8.8 YPA), 22 touchdowns, three interceptions, and a passer rating of 106.9. He also ran the ball 130 times for 585 yards (4.5 YPA), eight touchdowns and three fumbles. After that, Chambliss filed a lawsuit to contend the NCAA denying him an extra year of eligibility, and he won that case. Now that he has another developmental year before he tries the NFL on for size, what’s already on the ball, and what does he need to refine? Let’s dive into the tape. One of the most interesting things about Chambliss as a smaller, inherently mobile quarterback, is that he doesn’t need to leave the pocket to hit the middle of the field. Last season, when throwing to the middle of the field (directly to the middle; not middle left or middle right), Chambliss completed 46 of 70 passes for 825 yards, eight touchdowns, no interceptions, and a passer rating of 144.0. His 44.45 EPA on such throws was the NCAA’s 11th-best (minimum 50 attempts), and it’s one of the more NFL-ready parts of his game. Teams at the next level that work their passing games over the middle of the field (or want to do so) won’t have to take leave of that notion with Chambliss as their quarterback. On throws outside the pocket last season, Chambliss completed 37 of 64 passes for 500 yards, four touchdowns, one interception, and a passer rating of 97.1. Chambliss has a good sense of his own mechanics when he’s throwing on the move — the arm strength is enough for him to hit his targets when he has to throw off-platform, and when he rights his shoulders to the target, he’s capable of making some really nice downfield passes from a moving pocket. Chambliss has learned to deal with pressure very well — in 2025, he completed 44 of 81 passes when disrupted for 649 yards, one touchdown, no interceptions, and a passer rating of 84.9. Chambliss’ yards per attempt average of 8.0 under pressure also tells you that he doesn’t automatically become Captain Checkdown when pressured. The aforementioned pocket movement helps him a lot in an NFL-conversant sen [... truncated ...]
QB · CHI
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Can Caleb Williams break Brian Griese’s Chicago Bears record?
There’s some buzz surrounding Caleb Williams this week due to him being picked by a poll of coaches, scouts, and executives as a top 10 quarterback in the league, so I wanted to check the pulse of Chicago Bears fans and get their expectations for him this season. As we all know, Caleb set the franchise record for passing yards a season ago, with 3,942, breaking Erik Kramer’s 30-year-old record of 3,838. Williams’ was done in a 17-game season, so he averaged 8 fewer yards per game (231.9) than Kramer (239.9), who set his record in 16 games. The all-time Bears record for passing yards per game in a season — NFL rules dictate that a player must average 14 pass attempts per team game to qualify for a single-season mark — is Brian Griese, who averaged 257.7 yards per game in 2007. He only played in 7 games that year, but his 262 attempts qualify him. In 2014, Jay Cutler averaged 254.1 passing yards per game in 15 games, and he looked to be a lock to break Kramer’s record, but Marc Trestman benched him for their week 16 game. That benching still annoys me. In year two of the offense, Caleb should see an uptick in production, so do you see him breaking the untouched in the Windy City 4,000-yard passing mark? Do you see him eclipsing Griese’s average per-game record? For those wondering about the math, Williams would need to pass for 4,381 to break Griese’s 257.7 yards per game mark. Vote in our poll and we’ll share your results in a few days! Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Throughout the year, we ask questions of the most plugged-in Bears fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys
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The Bear’s Den, July 14, 2026
THE DAILY SPONGIE SPECIAL BEARSSSSSS Execs, coaches, scouts rank top NFL quarterbacks for 2026 – ESPN 10. Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears. “He’s the most dynamic of the group,” one GM said. “He’s got the arm talent and overall athleticism suited for today’s game.” Bears’ Caleb Williams Edges Packers’ Jordan Love for No. 10 Spot on ESPN’s QB Rankings – Sports Illustrated Chicago Bears A tiebreaker separated four quarterbacks for the final spot, and evaluators pointed to one specific trait that pushed Chicago’s passer over the top. Caleb Williams among 6 Bears to Allegedly Have Madden NFL 27 Overall Rating Leaked – Sports Illustrated Chicago Bears Three Chicago Bears were among the top 100 highest rated players, and three 2026 draft picks were in the top 100 rookies. Christkindlmarket in July? No, it’s just a Bears-themed Hallmark movie In the blazing heat of July, Hallmark began filming “Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story,” with cast, cameras and film crews spotted at Federal Plaza. POLISH SAUSAGE ‘Disgusting Work,’ ‘This List Is A Joke’ — NFL World Rips League After Lamar Jackson’s Shocking Rank On Top-100 Players In 2026 – ProFootballNetwork.com NFL fans on X criticized Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson’s No. 69 ranking on the NFL Top 100 players list. Free-agent WR Stefon Diggs: There is no WR2 better than me – NFL.com “My opinion, I can compete with anybody,” Diggs said. “But take those [top wide receivers] as your 1s, right? You can’t name a No. 2 better than me.” KNOW THINE ENEMY Besides QB, Browns big ‘lingering’ questions are replacing Myles Garrett, extensions – DawgsByNature.com Questions surrounding the Cleveland Browns roster includes Shedeur , Watson and replacing Myles Garrett IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON Analyzing projected stats for top Bears offensive players We take a look at how the top fantasy football outlets project the Bears’ top offensive players will perform in 2026. ESPN Survey: Caleb Williams Top 10 QB in the NFL ESPN’s front office survey ranks Caleb Williams as the 10th best QB in the NFL, beating out Jordan Love, Jayden Daniels , Sam Darnold , and Jalen Hurts . Training Camp Battle: C: Garrett Bradbury vs Logan Jones Will Garrett Bradbury or Logan Jones be the team’s starting center in September? We discuss in our next training camp battle. 10 Most Important Bears of 2026: #1 Caleb Williams For the 15th time in 18 years, the quarterback takes the top spot in @wiltfongjr’s 10 Most Important Bears series. Here’s why Caleb Williams is No. 1. 3 Bears appear in PFN’s NFL Top 100 players of 2026 Pro Football Network has three Bears players ranked in its NFL Top 100 list for 2026. 2nd City Gridiron is our video home! So hit the link and help us grow that brand! THE RULES Windy City Gridiron Community Guidelines – SBNation.com – We strive to make our communities open and inclusive to sports fans of all backgrounds. The following are not permitted in comments. No personal attacks, politics, gender-based insults of any kind, racial insults, profanity, etc. 2nd City Gridiron Podcast Channel which includes Bears Banter hosted by Bill Zimmerman, Bear & Balanced from Jeff Berckes and Lester A. Wiltfong Jr., Bears Over Beers featuring Ryan Droste and Bryan Orenchuk, Making Monsters with Taylor Doll, The Mac & Read Show from Evan McLean and Ross Read, and an occasional T Formation Conversation from Lester; Steven’s Streaming Twitch Channel from Steven Schweickert is another fun one. Click on our names to follow our Windy City Gridiron and 2nd City Gridiron teams on Twitter: Gary Baugher Jr. ; Jeff Berckes ; Dr. Patti Curl ; Sarah DeNicolo ; Ryan Droste ; Eric Christopher Duerrwaechter ; Dan Durkin ; Taylor Doll ; Donald Gooch ; Kev H ; Sam Householder ; Jacob Infante ; Aaron Lemming ; Evan McLean ; Dr. Ken Mitchell ; Bryan Orenchuk ; Ross Read : Jack R Salo ; Steven Schweickert ; Jack Silverstein ; Khari Thompson ; Lester Wiltfong, Jr. ; T.J. Starman ; Khari Thompson [... truncated ...]
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10 Most Important Bears of 2026: #1 Caleb Williams
This is the most anticlimactic list we do around here, because in 14 of the previous 17 installments of this annual ranking, the quarterback had been number one. While I gave Staley the Bear serious consideration this year, let’s make it 15 of 18 with Caleb Williams taking the top spot. I only had Caleb third in his rookie season. He was set up to be a part of the offense, and not the focal point. If the Bears were going to win games with him as a rookie, they’d do so with him playing a role, not leading the way. The Bears only won five games, and the best thing about 2024 was that it was such a clusterflus that it led to a house cleaning and the hiring of Ben Johnson. Last year, Caleb was number one on my list, because even though Ben was bringing a total offensive and cultural makeover, he was filling Caleb’s plate up. If the Bears were going to win games in 2025, it was going to be because of #18. Williams led the Bears to an NFC North crown and their first playoff win since 2010. His late-game performances saw Superman become the Iceman, as he led the game-winning drive 6 times, and then he did it again in the Wildcard game against the Green Bay Packers . Caleb and many offensive skill players got together before the offseason activities began, and then again after they ended. He not only wants to be great, but also to be the greatest of all time, and he has the right coach to help him get there: Ben Johnson. Their relationship is stronger in year two, and another year together brings greater familiarity with the playbook and a better understanding of what each wants in different situations. “I think it comes with the comfort level in terms of knowing what’s being asked in terms of the offense,” Johnson said about Caleb in June. “We’re all aligned on what we want a certain route to look like, where we want the ball to be thrown, and so, [with] routes on air, he can tell the receiver, ‘hey, you’re missing your depth,’ or ‘expect the ball to be at this spot.’ He’s stepped up, and he’s continuing to get better every single day, and it’s just a matter of how many reps can we continue to pile on over the course of training camp. But he certainly is a vocal presence within our offense and our entire team.” His awareness of his play and what he needs to work on led to a massive improvement from year one to year two, and it’s why I’m not worried about him tightening up his play heading into year three. “There’s so much to unlock,” Williams said via the team’s site, “there’s so much to get better at, there’s so much left of ball for me and us and accolades that we’ll have as a team.” He’s one of the most popular players in the league, as evidenced by being picked as Madden 27 cover athlete, but that popularity, coupled with the Bears winning games, will just lead to more criticism. And no matter how small it is or how manufactured for clicks it is, it’s something he listens to. From NFL.com : “Yeah, I love them. It’s one of my favorite things,” he said of the haters in a recent interview with the Pardon My Take podcast that aired late last week . “I don’t need them, but it’s always a little extra belief in myself, a little extra confidence in myself. It’s a little more delusion that I add to myself. It’s all these things combined and it just throws a little bit of gas on the fire, and all you need is a little bit.” Caleb’s drive to be great and the chip on his shoulder to prove the doubters wrong are traits we’ve seen in the most successful athletes of all time, and that’s the career trajectory he’s on. In 2024, he set all the Bears’ rookie passing records, and in 2025, he broke the franchise record for passing yards. What records will he break in 2026?
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