With no NFL games for another three months, rankings and lists dominate the offseason discussions. Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams has produced mixed results in the national media.
Ranking quarterbacks is always an interesting exercise that produces a wide variety of results.
There are so many variables to consider. Everything from passing yards to win and loss records to a player's performance in clutch moments can drastically impact the quarterback hierarchy in the NFL.
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams ended with 3,942 passing yards -- seventh most last season. He also helped lead his team to 11 wins, an NFC North Title, a playoff victory and finished with seven fourth-quarter comebacks in his first year with head coach Ben Johnson.
Where does Williams rank with those accolades? It's hard to say, but two national media members provided some drastically different opinions about the Bears' quarterback.
Colin Cowherd ranked his top-10 quarterbacks on "The Herd" and did so based on production, durability and current momentum, meaning is that player ascending, a leader and known as a winner.
After selecting Josh Allen (No. 1) and then Patrick Mahomes at two, Cowherd picked Chicago's signal caller.
"Number three, Caleb Williams," Cowherd said. "Do you know what his numbers are the first two years? 47 touchdowns, 13 picks, never hurt. Never hurt in high school, never hurt in college, never hurt in the pros. Got hit more than any quarterback in the league rookie year, not missing a snap. Unbelievably durable, makes throws that only Josh Allen can make. He's number three."
Let's be honest, even the most optimistic Bears fan probably wouldn't have listed Williams as a top-3 quarterback in the NFL. That doesn't mean he isn't an ascending player who can potentially reach that status, but that's one person's opinion on the former No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 draft.
ESPN's Dan Orlovsky came to a far different conclusion when he ranked the quarterbacks just in the NFC North.
"I would put [Jared] Goff at one, [Jordan] Love at two," Orlovsky said. "That would be a clear one and two for me. Then, there would be a gap, and I honestly believe that I would go Kyler [Murray] at three, Caleb at four. You know what? I'd go Caleb at three, Kyler at four."
Cowherd had Goff at No. 9 on his list, but to be fair, Orlovsky didn't use the same criteria to rank the quarterbacks, and even his did, the results may not look any different.
Orlovsky stating "there would a gap" between his top two quarterback and Williams is a bit much, but if Williams continues to ascend in the 2026 season, then that order should change.
When comparing the four NFC North quarterbacks, Goff easily has the most passing yards, touchdowns and overall production. He's also entering his 11th season in the league. Murray will be entering Year 8, and Love is going into Year 6. They all have far more experience than Williams, who is just entering his third year in the league and is only 24.
This will also be Williams' second season in head coach Ben Johnson's offense, which should create improved results from last season. Goff saw a majority of his stats improve from the first year Johnson called the plays in Detroit to that following season.
- Completions: 382 (2022) -> 407 (2023)
- Yards: 4,438 (22) -> 4,575 (23)
- TDs: 29 (22) -> 30 (23)
- First Downs Passing: 227 (22) -> 261 (23)
The offseason is the time to have these quarterback ranking discussions, but it's really just to fill time until the regular season begins. Once that happens, everyone will have a better idea just how Williams stacks up to his peers.