Caleb Williams gets hit with tough news involving one of his biggest threats and he won’t have to wait long to face it again
Minnesota Vikings safety Harrison Smith is one of the toughest defenders that Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams faced during his first two seasons, and now he’s going to have to face him again in 2026.
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams has had a few nemeses on the field throughout his first two seasons in the NFL, which is fitting for player who is known to put on the Superman cape from time to time and called his offensive line the Avengers.
Sticking with the Superman theme, two players that have stood out as recurring villains for Williams are Las Vegas Raiders’ pass rusher Maxx Crosby (an overwhelming a relentless force like Doomsday) and Green Bay Packers’ pass rusher Micah Parsons (Superman-level power and athleticism like General Zod). But, who would be the Lux Luthor to Caleb Williams’ Superman?
To me, you need to find someone that more than anything frustrates Williams with his top-level intelligence that you wouldn’t expect to be such a consistent problem like he is. And to me, that adversary is easily Minnesota Vikings’ safety Harrison Smith. And unfortunately for Williams, Smith is a villain he’s going to have to face in 2026 right when it looked like he wouldn’t have to ever again.
Harrison Smith has been a consistent issue for Caleb Williams through his first two seasons
Over the weekend, the future Hall of Fame safety made the decision to return for another year in Minnesota signing a one-year contract worth a $12.25 million. All offseason, many had wondered whether or not Smith would come back for a 15th season after getting released by the team back in March.
With Week 1 now underway, Smith will be back in action. But, what does this have to do with Caleb Williams? Well, Smith is one of the top defenders that Williams is on record for saying he gives him the most trouble on the field.
“They got a very savvy vet back there in 22 (Harrison Smith),” Williams said last year. “Playing versus him, it’s been fun but also a learning experience for me. Last year, when I checked the play, he checked, I ended up checking back and forth, so it’s playing that game of cat and mouse. And he’s been doing it for so many years.”
It’s a fun back and forth battle between those two that won’t always show up on the stat sheet, but absolutely plays a pivotal role on every single dropback Williams makes. Smith is a player you need to identify pre and post-snap because he can really hurt you when you least expect it.
Williams will have to face off against Smith and the Vikings’ defense sooner than he’d like
Come Week 2, Caleb Williams and the Bears’ offense will face off against Smith and the Vikings’ defense again, and Smith’s return adds a whole new layer to how defensive coordinator Brian Flores can deploy his defense to throw Williams off his game.
“He’s the king of cover zero blitz and finding a bunch of different ways to do it,” Williams said of Flores during his rookie year. “They’ll switch it up and just fly [Harrison Smith] out from two yards away from me, and fly him all the way back to the safety and things like that.”
You might not have thought this battle between Williams and Smith went that deep, but it absolutely does. Smith can be a major threat come Week 2 and this news of his return for the 2026 season isn’t something we should overlook.
But, that’s a conversation we need to save for next week, because first Williams and the Bears have to prepare to face the Carolina Panthers on the road later this week to kick off the regular season.
