It took two years of Caleb Williams’ career to undo what, for all intents and purposes, had been the Chicago Bears’ curse to carry for 30-plus years. That is before the former No. 1 overall pick entered the league or was even born.
However, heading into training camp and the 2026 regular season, Williams ranked ahead of his NFC North counterpart, Jordan Love of the Green Bay Packers, in a poll of NFL figures.
While subjective, it is the latest evidence of the turning tide in the heated rivalry.
Caleb Williams’ Playmaking Secures Final Spot for Bears QB
Bears’ Caleb Williams Beats Out Packers’ Jordan Love, Others for Spot on Top 10 List
ESPN’s polling of unnamed NFL executives, coaches, and scouts has yielded some noteworthy results for the Bears, but not many that may be more telling that Williams beating out Love and several others for the final spot of the top-10 list.
As with any opinion, the basis for the results is subjective.
Still, it comes from active NFL personnel. That gives it a little more weight to it than some other rankings. In general, they are commonplace at this time of year.
“Here’s where it gets interesting. Four quarterbacks — Williams, Seattle’s Sam Darnold, Green Bay’s Jordan Love and Washington’s Jayden Daniels — were very close in voting for the 10th spot. So we took it to tiebreakers, gathering input from several general managers and executives. Why did Williams barely win out for the final spot on the list? He’s the hardest of the four for teams to prepare for and defend,” Fowler wrote on July 13.
“His 11 touchdowns thrown at least 20 yards downfield were two more than any other quarterback last season. He reduced his sack total from 68 to 24 year-over-year, too. And Williams’ 13 interceptions on 1,130 career passing attempts are an excellent clip. His playmaking is sustainable. Plus, Williams’ six fourth-quarter comebacks in 2025 led the league.”
One general manager said Williams was the “most dynamic” QB in that cluster, citing his athleticism and arm talent being “suited for today’s game.” An unnamed personnel evaluator called Williams a “closer,” which is how he garnered his “Ice Man” moniker.
Fowler cited Williams’ “inconsistencies.”
“His 20.2% off-target rate was 37th out of 38 quarterbacks in 2025, though his ability to keep plays alive and throw the ball away contributes to this.”
The insider also noted that a defensive coach called Williams “wildly erratic.” The coach added that the QB “doesn’t always take the layups and still needs to mature into the position.” That has been a common critique from Williams himself and the Bears’ coaches.
However, that same coach gave Williams his flowers, too.
“[He] has some of those ‘what is he doing?’ plays. But he also makes plays only he and [Patrick] Mahomes can make,” that coach said, calling the QB “deceptively fast” and citing his “‘it’ factor.”
Bears Get Another ‘Win’ Over Packers
Love received his kudos, too. One offensive coach commended Love’s growth, particularly with his command of the Packers’ offense. A scout in the same conference believes Love is underrated in terms of his consistency.
Still, it is another feather in the Bears’ cap following their first season with multiple wins over their most-hated rivals (including the playoffs) since the 2007 season.
Then, the Bears swept the Packers during the regular season, giving this group a goal.
Love also checked in at No. 72 on the NFL’s Top 100 Players list for 2026. Williams has not been revealed as a selection for the list, which is voted on by NFL players. Being named to the list would be another major moral victory for the Bears.
As it stands, Love has yet to crack the top-10 in voting, finishing as an honorable mention in 2024 and 2025 as well. Voters left him off the list entirely in 2023, when former Bears QB Justin Fields received votes, but that was going into his first season as a starter.
