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The Chicago Bears heard the word "generational" thrown around a bit leading up to the 2024 NFL Draft, and it was surrounding USC quarterback Caleb Williams. By the time the draft came around, it was clear that Williams would be first overall pick to Chicago.
Now, entering Year 3 of his career, Williams has two playoff game appearances with one playoff victory under his belt. He has also conquered the Green Bay Packers three times in five meetings, set a single season franchise passing record (3,942 yards), and leads by example every single day.
Next on the agenda for Williams, entering Ben Johnson’s second season as head coach, is to elevate his game even more. Such development will make the Bears a legitimate Super Bowl threat simply based on him alone. If the rest of the team does their jobs, they will be among the elite.
There's been plenty of debate about how Williams ranks among the best quarterbacks in the NFL, including him earning Top 10 status, according to league coaches and executives in a recent poll by ESPN. So we decided to join the fray with out own Top 20 quarterback ranking.
The top five quarterbacks, for this upcoming season, are undeniable. They have all been MVP-caliber, when healthy, Super Bowl-contending players for a long time.
Patrick Mahomes, Matthew Stafford, and Joe Burrow have all played in the big game, while Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen have each won an MVP. For Williams to get into this tier, he will need more than just one winning season with a few incredible plays.
After these five, however, you can realistically start to think about Williams. Right now, because of previous performances, Justin Herbert gets the nod one spot ahead of Williams, who lands at No. 7 on this list.
Williams barely edges out Drake Maye, who was taken in the same draft class. He is also ahead of division rivals Jordan Love and Jared Goff, who could crack the top six in any given year as well. With all of the weapons and Johnson in place for Williams, he has no excuse not to be a top-seven quarterback in the NFL.
Also in the top-11 is Super Bowl-winning quarterback Sam Darnold, who is finally getting recognized as a top-flight quarterback after some scary years early in his career bouncing across different organizations.
Outside of the top-11, they are pretty interchangeable. Former No. 1 picks Trevor Lawrence, Bryce Young, and Baker Mayfield are all good quarterbacks, but none of them have done enough to warrant being in the top-11 going into the 2026 season. They may find themselves playing at that level for stretches, but never as consistently as thier teams would like.
Maye isn't the only player from the same draft class as Williams to crack this list, as Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix are there as well. Daniels is more likely to be elite than Nix, but the latter is a solid player on a really good team that has Super Bowl aspirations.
Brock Purdy, CJ Stroud, Dak Prescott, and Jalen Hurts are all very good players in their own right, but they need better situations if they are going to have a chance at a Super Bowl. We've seen what Hurts and Purdy can do on elite teams, but there is a ceiling to their success if the situation isn't absolutely perfect.
All in all, the NFL has a lot of incredibly talented quarterbacks, but there are levels to how far they can lead their teams on their own. Williams has the making of a guy who may make everyone around him better because he's that good. Going into 2026, it is a fair belief. The fact that he is seemingly in a good situation makes it even better.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Ranking Bears' Caleb Williams among Top 20 quarterbacks in NFL
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Now, entering Year 3 of his career, Williams has two playoff game appearances with one playoff victory under his belt. He has also conquered the Green Bay Packers three times in five meetings, set a single season franchise passing record (3,942 yards), and leads by example every single day.
Next on the agenda for Williams, entering Ben Johnson’s second season as head coach, is to elevate his game even more. Such development will make the Bears a legitimate Super Bowl threat simply based on him alone. If the rest of the team does their jobs, they will be among the elite.
There's been plenty of debate about how Williams ranks among the best quarterbacks in the NFL, including him earning Top 10 status, according to league coaches and executives in a recent poll by ESPN. So we decided to join the fray with out own Top 20 quarterback ranking.
- Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
- Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
- Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
- Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
- Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
- Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
- Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
- Drake Maye, New England Patriots
- Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
- Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks
- Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers
- Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
- Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
- Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
- CJ Stroud, Houston Texans
- Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
- Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
- Bo Nix, Denver Broncos
- Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
The top five quarterbacks, for this upcoming season, are undeniable. They have all been MVP-caliber, when healthy, Super Bowl-contending players for a long time.
Patrick Mahomes, Matthew Stafford, and Joe Burrow have all played in the big game, while Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen have each won an MVP. For Williams to get into this tier, he will need more than just one winning season with a few incredible plays.
After these five, however, you can realistically start to think about Williams. Right now, because of previous performances, Justin Herbert gets the nod one spot ahead of Williams, who lands at No. 7 on this list.
Williams barely edges out Drake Maye, who was taken in the same draft class. He is also ahead of division rivals Jordan Love and Jared Goff, who could crack the top six in any given year as well. With all of the weapons and Johnson in place for Williams, he has no excuse not to be a top-seven quarterback in the NFL.
Also in the top-11 is Super Bowl-winning quarterback Sam Darnold, who is finally getting recognized as a top-flight quarterback after some scary years early in his career bouncing across different organizations.
Outside of the top-11, they are pretty interchangeable. Former No. 1 picks Trevor Lawrence, Bryce Young, and Baker Mayfield are all good quarterbacks, but none of them have done enough to warrant being in the top-11 going into the 2026 season. They may find themselves playing at that level for stretches, but never as consistently as thier teams would like.
Maye isn't the only player from the same draft class as Williams to crack this list, as Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix are there as well. Daniels is more likely to be elite than Nix, but the latter is a solid player on a really good team that has Super Bowl aspirations.
Brock Purdy, CJ Stroud, Dak Prescott, and Jalen Hurts are all very good players in their own right, but they need better situations if they are going to have a chance at a Super Bowl. We've seen what Hurts and Purdy can do on elite teams, but there is a ceiling to their success if the situation isn't absolutely perfect.
All in all, the NFL has a lot of incredibly talented quarterbacks, but there are levels to how far they can lead their teams on their own. Williams has the making of a guy who may make everyone around him better because he's that good. Going into 2026, it is a fair belief. The fact that he is seemingly in a good situation makes it even better.
Follow Bears Wire on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Ranking Bears' Caleb Williams among Top 20 quarterbacks in NFL
Continue reading...
