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All eyes on Caleb Williams as preseason game vs Bills gets record ratings

Originally posted on Chicago Bears on SI
By Pete Martuneac | Last updated Aug 19, 2025 10:11 PM ET

One of the biggest storylines by far heading into the 2025 NFL season has been the Chicago Bears, specifically quarterback Caleb Williams. The former USC standout and Heisman winner put the finishing touches on a solid rookie season last year with a dramatic win over the Green Bay Packers, but his numbers and the team's fortunes still fell far short of the generational expectations that Williams brought to the Bears.

That's expected to change in Year 2 of Caleb Williams. The Bears went out and hired the hottest head coaching candidate to hit the market in years, former Detroit offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. This has been the Bears' best decision in an offseason full of surpris ingly good decisions, and NFL fans around the world are anxious to see the results of this dynamic head coach-quarterback duo.

The proof is in the numbers from this weekend's slate of NFL preseason games. After sitting out of Chicago's first preseason game against the Miami Dolphins, Caleb Williams started against the Buffalo Bills at Soldier Field in a primetime slot on Sunday night, and the TV ratings were staggering. 5.1 million viewers tuned in to catch their first glimpse of Williams running Ben Johnson's offense, with a peak of 5.9 million about an hour into the game.

The #Bills vs. #Bears preseason game on Sunday night drew 5.1 million viewers on FOX — making it the network’s most-watched NFL preseason game since 2021. pic.twitter.com/esDMAjzjmh
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) August 19, 2025

This was the most watched NFL preseason game on FOX since the 2021 Hall of Fame game, which featured the Dallas Cowboys and the Pittsburgh Steelers. That game was significant due to the larger than usual class of Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees; the 2020 ceremony had been cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Needless to say, these millions of viewers got to witness an incredible show as Caleb Williams silenced his critics with a nearly flawless performance en route to a 38-0 romp over the Bills. Williams looked every bit the franchise quarterback and, despite it being a preseason game, injected the fanbase with a dose of hope.

Whether Williams will become the elite quarterback he seemed destined to be a year ago remains to be seen. One thing we know for sure, however, is that the Bears will be appointment viewing for the foreseeable future.

This article first appeared on Chicago Bears on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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