We’re officially getting to the point where the insane hype around Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams doesn’t feel completely far-fetched. Not after what we saw last year anyway.
Sure, the incoming third-year quarterback has some things to iron out in his game—specifically, improving his completion percentage and learning to take the easy stuff more often. But his raw, preternatural skills as a playmaker and knack for performing miracles in the clutch have people putting his potential in a similar
tier to one Patrick Lavon Mahomes II.
Chicago Bears legend Mike Singletary just said as much earlier this week on Up & Adams. But he’s not the only one.
Count NFL Media analyst Bucky Brooks in as well.
“With seven fourth-quarter comebacks in 2025, including the playoffs, and a catalog of highlight-reel throws in closing minutes, the third-year pro is climbing the charts as a top quarterback. He threw for nearly 4,000 yards with a 27:7 TD-INT ratio in his first season under Ben Johnson, despite his inconsistencies as a passer. If Williams continues to refine his game under Johnson’s direction, the league is on the verge of witnessing the birth of a megastar who could rival Patrick Mahomes as the ultimate late-game closer,” Brooks said of Williams.
But the comparison between Williams and Mahomes hasn’t stopped at the fact that they’re both final boss-level clutch merchants. Fellow pundit Jeremy Fowler of ESPN went even further while hyping Williams up this week.
”Caleb Williams, right now, is looked at around the league as a Top 10 quarterback and one of the very best closers in the NFL,” Fowler said on an ESPN segment.
“I’ve polled people around the league about quarterbacks, and where they rank, and even though he’s [Williams] erratic at times, he’s the type of player that can make plays only Patrick Mahomes could make before him. He’s got that sort of ceiling right now.”
To be clear, Williams is absolutely not in that Mahomes tier yet, in terms of accomplishments. The young Bears passer needs some hardware, including some MVPs and Super Bowls, first. Also, Mahomes’ consistency as a passer and ability to do all the little things right—for example, his 62.7% last year (the lowest of his career) marked just the third time ever Mahomes has failed to complete 66% of his throws—is something Williams can emulate.
But when the outside noise starts getting to this level around Williams—something we’ve never seen in our lifetime as Bears fans—it’s hard not to get pumped. We’re talking about a Chicago Bears quarterback being actively compared to the best quarterback in the game right now, not based on pre-draft potential but what he’s actually doing in the NFL.
Being a top-10 NFL QB was always the expectation for a player of Williams’ talent. MVP-level, Mahomes-type play was the dream. With Ben Johnson at the helm and a strong sophomore season in the books, including a magical playoff ride, the stakes are rising for the 2026 season. It’s time for Williams to prove it. Anything less than superstardom would feel like failure now.
But after all we’ve seen so far, there’s no reason to think Williams’ play can’t rise to the occasion along with them.
