As much as the news emerging from the Chicago Bears' preseason program has revolved around various injuries, the left tackle spot, and the overall defensive configuration, there isn't any doubt that when the dust settles ahead of 2026, it's all going to be about quarterback Caleb Williams. He represents a focal point that isn't likely to shift any time soon, either.
Much of the buzz around Williams this preseason has spoken to the continued development of his relationship with head coach Ben Johnson. Johnson has continued to coach Williams hard, a dynamic which yielded massive dividends in the first year of their partnership in 2025. But when the offseason dust clears, and the Bears take the field against the Carolina Panthers in Week 1, it'll
be Williams himself center stage. In fact, it's Williams' progression from 2025 to 2026 that represents the single most crucial element of the impending Bears' season.
Williams' first year under Johnson featured a significant jump in production. Despite a slight drop in completion percentage, he experienced a leap nearly everywhere else including overall yards (3,942), touchdowns (27), and passer rating (90.1). His Pro Football Focus overall grade rose from 67.6 in 2024 to 75.4 last season. Toss in the myriad ways he and the offense pulled together late in thriller after thriller and you have a very clear progression supported by the eye test.
At the same time, continued growth remains necessary for Williams to continue his ascent into the NFL's top quarterbacks. Process — including pre-snap, reads, and execution — and footwork have remained paramount as far as elements of his game in need of further refinement. It's these factors that'll really begin to showcase the final form Williams could take. For his money, the quarterback is pleased with the growth he's demonstrated, and that development should be obvious when it begins to manifest.
On Thursday, Williams spoke to the ability to add in more detail and additional complexity without having to relearn plays, as well as the rhythm and smooth nature of his footwork in camp and his ability to read the defense as part of his progression. That latter detail is especially significant, as Williams noted it's not just a matter of going through individual reads based on coverage but knowing when to skip a particularly progression based on defensive alignment. The fact that both he and Johnson have been so deliberate in these components of Williams' game are strong indicators that the shortcomings still permeating through his skill set are coming along in exactly the way one would hope to see if expecting that Year 3 leap.
Ultimately, it's the leap itself that tops the list of the Bears' needs in 2026. This is an imperfect roster, suffering through a handful of injuries with a roster constructed in such a way where certain positions are still wanting on paper. If Williams' confidence (and Johnson's, for that matter) are to be believed, then the progression both in skill set and in the statistical sense are both very much in play. That has the ability to compensate for a lot when you're talking about a quarterback with this kind of ceiling. Suddenly, lingering concerns elsewhere on the roster begin to fade.
Throughout the league, we've seen how quarterback play on its own can elevate a roster. Williams possesses the upside to be in league with that profile of quarterback. And he'd be, inarguably, the first quarterback in Bears history to do so. If the reads and the footwork and the process are all as in order as they've been purported to be, everything else throughout the roster begins to matter just a little bit less.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: How Caleb Williams' Year 3 leap could stabilize 2026 Chicago Bears
