‘We’re going to be talking about them for a long time’ — Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels get set to write Chapter 2 of this budding rivalry
Monday Night Football is going to be an insane QB matchup.
On April 25, 2024, fate was created for what could be the next great NFL rivalry at the quarterback position and neither player truly understood the story that would start unfolding after that night.
It was the opening round of the 2024 NFL Draft. The Chicago Bears, armed with the number one pick in the draft, had made the decision long before that night to put faith in Caleb Williams being the next hopeful savior of a lost franchise. Right after they made the pick, the Washington Commanders selected Jayden Daniels with the second overall pick to lead the organization into a new era.
It’s still far to early to bring up Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning or Troy Aikman vs. Steve Young or Patrick Mahomes vs. Josh Allen when talking about Williams and Daniels, but it’s already clear these two players have a bright future and are destined to be compared to one another, whether it’s fair to the two young quarterbacks or not, because of that night.
Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels set to face off once again on “Monday Night Football”
On Monday night, Williams and Daniels will go head-to-head for the second time in their NFL careers and everyone is eager to see how Part 2 goes in this growing rivalry. In Part 1, Williams and Daniels each led go-ahead drives in the final minute with Daniels getting the final laugh after completing a walk-off Hail Mary that made Commanders fans erupt and devastated the city of Chicago.
Flash-forward to the end of their rookie seasons, Daniels and the Commanders continued building on that momentum all the way to the NFC Championship game while Williams and the Bears lost nine consecutive games leading to a coaching change that shot life back into Williams’ career trajectory.
Now in Year 2, Daniels and Williams continue to show major steps forward in their development as quarterbacks in this league, and most importantly, faces of their respective franchises.
“I think these are two ascending quarterbacks in this league,” Bears head coach Ben Johnson said on Wednesday. “And I think we’re going to be talking about them for a long time in the future.”
Looking at Williams specifically, the elite arm talent and backyard ability jumped off the screen from Day 1 as the starting quarterback of the Bears. While a lot wasn’t pretty during his rookie season, Williams showed the signs that he can be a franchise guy with his play in two-minute situations and his resiliency to overcome such a turbulent start to his NFL career.
Four games into his second season, Williams now looks like a totally different, and more mature, quarterback. It’s no secret Johnson is a big reason why. Williams’ new head coach noted numerous times now that he chose to come to Chicago to coach Williams and bring the best out of him.
That started by getting Williams back under center and rebuilding the foundations of his mechanics and wiring, starting with his footwork. After watching the first four games, Johnson praised Williams’ ability to lead with his feet and stay within the structure of the offense. And when the lights get bright, like they did in Week 4, Johnson made sure to reinforce Williams’ killer instinct to lead a game-winning drive despite all the struggles the offense faced leading up to it.
On the other side of things, Jayden Daniels took the league by storm in his rookie season as he earned Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, and shattered franchise and NFL records along the way. The 2025 season didn’t start how everyone imagined with his knee injury against the Packers, but in his very first game back, he quickly reminded everyone what he’s capable of.
A flip switch on the field, and Daniels displayed elite ball placement and accuracy on multiple throws against the Chargers, even without top receiver Terry McLaurin. Daniels has all the makings of a Top-5 quarterback in the league with his legs and his arm, as he continues to develop in his second season.
He already changed the game with how he practices through a VR headset for replicated in-game reps like he would see during a real game, and his playing style as a clutch quarterback has shined through since he entered the league. The 2024 QB draft class has the makings of a special group of players to watch years from now, and Daniels is still at the front leading that pack.
Both quarterbacks have certainly already showed the league glimpses of just how great they can be in the near, and long-term future. And on Monday, the entire world will be watching to see some of that greatness shine in this second matchup between these two on a national stage. Bring the popcorn.
Washington Commanders News
How to watch the Commanders host the Bears in primetime NFC matchup between Jayden Daniels and Caleb Williams
The rematch everyone is waiting for is finally here.
