Bears' Caleb Williams Ranked as NFC North's Best QB

Chicago quarterback makes huge leap in NFL.com's quarterback rankings for 2025 season.

Published on Feb. 14, 2026

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Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams had a breakout 2025 season, leading the team from worst to first in the NFC North with an 11-6 record, a division title, and a wild-card playoff win. Williams set numerous franchise records, including passing yards in a season, and was ranked as the 7th best quarterback in the NFL by NFL.com, as well as the top QB in the NFC North ahead of Detroit's Jared Goff and Green Bay's Jordan Love.

Why it matters

Williams' rapid rise to becoming one of the league's top young quarterbacks is a major boost for the Bears, who are looking to build on their success and make a deeper playoff run. His ability to lead late-game comebacks and make clutch plays has made him a fan favorite in Chicago.

The details

In his second NFL season, Williams set a Bears single-season record with 3,942 passing yards. He made major strides in his deep ball accuracy, playmaking ability, and cutting down on sacks under new head coach Ben Johnson. While his completion percentage of 58.1% needs improvement, Williams was one of the league's most clutch quarterbacks, leading seven fourth-quarter comebacks.

  • Williams set the Bears' single-season passing yards record in the 2025 season.
  • NFL.com ranked Williams as the 7th best quarterback in the league for the 2025 season.

The players

Caleb Williams

The Chicago Bears' starting quarterback, who had a breakout 2025 season and was ranked as the 7th best QB in the NFL by NFL.com.

Ben Johnson

The head coach of the Chicago Bears, who helped Williams make major improvements in his second NFL season.

Jared Goff

The starting quarterback for the Detroit Lions, who was ranked 9th in the NFL by NFL.com for the 2025 season.

Jordan Love

The starting quarterback for the Green Bay Packers, who was ranked 14th in the NFL by NFL.com for the 2025 season.

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What they’re saying

“Caleb Williams steadily improved throughout his first season under Ben Johnson and produced some incredible heroics in the postseason, powering an unbelievable comeback over the Packers on Wild Card Weekend and nearly doing the same against the Rams in the Divisional Round.”

— Nick Shook, NFL.com writer (NFL.com)

What’s next

Williams and the Bears will look to build on their success in the 2025 season and make a deeper playoff run in 2026.

The takeaway

Caleb Williams' rapid development into one of the NFC North's top quarterbacks is a major bright spot for the Bears, who are poised to be a contender in the division for years to come with their young star signal-caller leading the way.