Caleb Williams' second-year leap in 2025 explains why the Bears got the No. 1 pick right in 2024, and why revisiting that decision now misses the point.
offers a familiar offseason exercise, but its redo of the Chicago Bears' decision at No. 1 overall misses the mark. In this hypothetical, the Bears pass on Caleb Williams in favor of Drake Maye, with Williams sliding to No.
3 overall.Williams' rookie season was a rollercoaster ride, a mixed bag of good and bad. But the leap he made in 2025 is exactly why the Bears should trust the evaluation they made in 2024, and be excited about what's to come in 2026 and beyond.Williams ended the 2025 season with a single-season franchise record 3,942 yards, 27 touchdowns, and seven interceptions, earning a 76.9 overall grade from Pro Football Focus. His growth was more about structured improvement under coach Ben Johnson, evidenced by his 28 big-time throws, the sixth-most among QBs this season. He led the Bears to 11 wins, an NFC North title, and a trip to the Divisional Round of the playoffs. Even the most die-hard Bears fan never would've expected Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams reacts after defeating the Minnesota Vikings. Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images. | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images Williams' development can be seen in his deep ball accuracy, too. As a rookie, he completed just 20-of-75 deep attempts. It was one of the aspects of his first season that drew the most criticism. In 2025, he improved to 31-of-73, improving his deep-ball accuracy from 27.4% to 46.7%. It's proof of how much he matured in just one season, and how lethal he can be now that he has Ben Johnson in his corner. Bleacher Report leans heavily on the idea that the Bears could've found a "safer" option in Maye. But that was never the objective for Chicago. The Bears needed a quarterback with rare, generational talent. A guy who can thrive in chaos. A quarterback whose ceiling elevates everyone around him. After the Chicago Bears' miraculous run this season, Williams proved he'sAnd, remember: the other 31 NFL general managers would've made the same decision as Ryan Poles if they had the first pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Caleb Williams was a tank-worthy prospect, a player who most NFL Draft analysts viewed as the top quarterback prospect since Andrew Luck. In 2025, he lived up to that scouting report.A redraft that ignores trajectory warrants criticism. Williams' second-year leap, combined with his rare arm talent and off-script heroics, puts him firmly on the path toward future NFL MVP contention. Guys like that areIndeed, Drake Maye is a fantastic quarterback. The New England Patriots are lucky to have him. But that doesn't mean the Bears aren't happy with their choice, too.didn't overthink the 2024 NFL Draft. And, two seasons later, there's no reason to pretend they should've taken anyone but Caleb Williams. He's already the most exciting quarterback in the NFL, and by next year, he has a chance to earn the title of theRich Eisen tells hurting Bears fans what the playoff loss proved about Caleb WilliamsChicago Bears land intriguing pick in post-Divisional Round 2026 NFL mock draftBryan Perez founded and operated Bears Talk, a Chicago sports blog. Prior to that, he covered the Bears for USA Today’s Bears Wire and NBC Sports Chicago. In addition to his Chicago Bears coverage, Perez is a respected member of NFL Draft media and was a past winner of The Huddle's Mock Draft competition. Bryan's past life includes time as a Northeast scout for the CFL's Ottawa Redblacks.Do the Chicago Bears have a Rome Odunze problem?
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