Bears QB Caleb Williams gets slight disrespect from PFF in latest NFL starting quarterback rankings heading into the 2025 season

With head coach Ben Johnson coming to town with a new offense, and new weapons, in 2025, Williams should be in line to have a breakout season and prove all the doubters wrong. Yet, he gained a new naysayer this week.

On Tuesday, Pro Football Focus ranked all 32 starting quarterbacks and Williams came in 24th in the category titled "Young players with a wide range of potential outcomes". The national media outlet claims the rankings are based on "a combination of recent performance and career trajectory" yet for Williams it seems solely based on 2024.

"Touted as a generational talent by many, Williams underwhelmed as a rookie, earning just a 67.6 overall grade and posting only five single-game grades above 70.0. The talent is undeniable, but his NFL success will hinge on learning to find open targets and avoiding the habit of running himself into pressure." - John Kosko, Pro Football Focus

Is this a fair ranking for Caleb Williams?

Now, I'm not going to argue Williams should be viewed as a Top-10 quarterback in 2025 by any means but 24th seems low. Especially when you consider the quarterbacks listed above him in the same category such as Michael Penix Jr., Drake Maye, J.J. McCarthy, and Bryce Young.

For Penix and McCarthy, it's foolish to rank them above Williams because you're simply projecting them to be good without even seeing much of them so far in the NFL. Yet, we're not projecting what Williams will look like in a functional offense.

As for Maye and Young, Williams' 2024 stats cleared both players and he will have a much stronger supporting cast with a way better play-caller in 2025. It just doesn't make any sense to have either player listed over Williams.

Based on that logic, Williams should at the very least be 20th, right behind Bo Nix and Tua Tagovailoa, which I believe is a fair ranking based on what he showed in 2024 and his career trajectory for 2025.

Mark this down as yet another slight toward Caleb Williams. The chips on his shoulder continue to stack and I hope Williams lights up the league with all the new improvements around him ahead of his second season.