The Chicago Bears sent a statement to the rest of the NFL following their offensive explosion in a 59-37 win over the Carolina Panthers, where quarterback Caleb Williams put on a show in his first game of Year 2 with head coach Ben Johnson.
Williams had arguably his best showing of his young three-year career, where he looked poised and comfortable with a dual-threat showing against the Panthers. Williams completed 21-of-29 passes (72%) for 269 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions for a 124.1 passer rating and 94.9 QBR. He also added 10 rushes for 65 yards and two scores.
Following his impressive Week 1 showing, Williams has emerged as a MVP betting favorite, where he's jumped from +1200 to +850, which is the third-best odds behind only
Buffalo's Josh Allen and Baltimore's Lamar Jackson, per DraftKings Sportsbook.
ICEMAN HEATING UP 🔥
— DraftKings Sports (@DKSports) September 13, 2026
Caleb Williams has jumped to 3rd in MVP odds 📈
+1200 ➡️ +850 pic.twitter.com/J0Cjog3shK
Williams looked the most comfortable he's looked in less than two years with Johnson, and it was even more surprising considering things don't necessarily look their best in Week 1. Williams even vowed that this is the "worst game" they'll play after dropping 59 points, which should be very scary for the rest of the NFL.
If this is just a glimpse of what we can expect from Williams in Year 3, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him remain in the MVP conversation.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears QB Caleb Williams has emerged as an MVP favorite after Week 1
