National NFL writer believes big expectations for Caleb Williams are realistic — but major growth will need to happen in 2026
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams is very clearly on a steep upward trajectory for his NFL career, but where does he stand entering Year 3 and how high could he rank after this upcoming season?
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams proved a lot of doubters wrong in Year 2 as the team’s quarterback and heavily benefited from having Ben Johnson as his head coach and primary offensive play-caller.
While the improvement was extremely noticeable as the season progressed, the flaws still lingered that doubters continue to use as ammunition to try and knock Williams. It’s valid criticism and something Williams understands he must overcome to be viewed as one of the top quarterbacks in the league.
Where does Williams rank entering 2026 is a fascinating conversation. Recent quarterback ranks have Williams as high as the Top-10 and it’s fair to say he’s at least a Top-15 quarterback in the league going into his third season.
One national NFL writer believes this is the year for Williams to really make that jump into stardom with some massive expectations the Bears’ quarterback can realistically reach.
Mike Florio has confidence that Chicago Bears Caleb Williams will be viewed as a Top-5 QB after 2026
“This is the year that Caleb can make himself a clear-cut, no-brainer, Top-5 guy,” Mike Florio said Tuesday on 104.3 The Score. “The problem is, there’s always going to be more than five guys that we think are in the Top-5. You look at Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Caleb Williams. I don’t know, I think that fits. . . Out of five guys, right now, given their age and level of experience, I would go Allen one and Caleb two.”
That is some insanely high expectations. Williams is not nearly at that level looking at the quarterbacks in this league at this moment, but he could be very soon.
When examining the top quarterbacks in the league, the best metric is looking at which quarterbacks spark the most fear in opposing defenses. Allen and Mahomes certainly do that, as does a fully healthy Burrow and Jackson. People are also heavily overlooking reigning MVP Matthew Stafford in this conversation.
Williams is starting to open that door. He’s not in it yet or has a foot in the door, but the door is opening. Defenses last year were starting to fear when Williams was on the field late in games. The goal now is to be consistent enough that defenses fear going up against him for all four quarters.
If he can do that, he absolutely will be in that conversation. Playing at an improved, consistent, level will easily put Williams into Pro Bowl and MVP consideration as soon as the 2026 season with the coaching and weapons he has at his disposal. Not to mention the quality of competition being so high. As of now, Williams still has plenty of work to do in order to reach that level.