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Caleb Williams projected to be 'biggest challenge' for Chicago in 2025

Originally posted on Chicago Bears on SI
By Pete Martuneac | Last updated Jul 29, 2025 12:38 PM ET

Lost amidst all the noise of the 2024 NFL season and the subsequent offseason is one pure fact: Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams had a good rookie season. The former USC star threw for over 3,500 yards, 20 touchdowns, and an astonishingly low 6 interceptions, which at one point included setting an NFL rookie record for most consecutive passes without getting picked off.

However, for the Bears to return to relevance and playoff contention, they're going to need much more from Williams than a fine rookie season. Williams entered the NFL with generational billing, the kind of quarterback who can rescue a lost franchise. That means we need to see a leap in progress in Williams' game in 2025.

That's going to be Chicago's biggest challenge, according to one analyst. Jeffri Chadlha, a columnist at NFL.com, listed each team's largest task for the 2025 season in a recent article. For the Chicago Bears, that is 'fostering significant growth from Caleb Williams'.

Here's what Chadlha had to say about that: "Williams now has better protection behind a rebuilt offensive line. He has more weapons, as [GM Ryan] Poles selected tight end Colston Loveland and wide receiver Luther Burden III in the first two rounds of this year’s draft. Most importantly, Williams has [Ben] Johnson, who has been focused on improving his quarterback’s fundamentals and helping the 23-year-old see the value of playing within the structure of the offense. The Bears basically have done everything possible to ensure success here. It’s up to Williams to deliver that."

It doesn't get any simpler than that. The Bears have one of the deepest collections of pass catchers in the league and have now paired that with what is expected to be an elite offensive line. Combine all that with an offensive guru at head coach and you leave no room for excuses for Williams in 2025. Moral victories were fine in the chaos of the 2024. This season, the results must be visible in the win-loss column.

That's not to say that Williams has to win the MVP award or bring a Lombardi home to Chicago. But fans and analysts need to be able to see the significant growth in his game that Chadlha mentioned. By the end of next season, even Green Bay Packers fans should be left with no doubt that the Chicago Bears have a franchise quarterback.

For what it's worth, I think that that is exactly what Williams will prove.

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

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