One NFC Contender Is Reminiscent of Chiefs' Early Surge

Back in 2018, Kansas City had recently traded Alex Smith to Washington, handing the keys of the franchise to Mahomes. The Chiefs were one of the most polarizing teams entering that season, as opinions surrounding the young gunslinger swung on both ends of the spectrum. People were either all-in the Mahomes-Andy Reid pairing or highly skeptical of a quarterback needing refinement, coming in right away with a playoff-contending roster and continue to build upon Reid's success in Kansas City.

Long story short, the Texas Tech product would win the NFL MVP, completing 66 percent of his passes for 5,097 yards, 50 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions, while leading the Chiefs to an AFC West title and the No. 1 seed in the AFC en route to the franchise's first AFC Championship appearance in 25 years. The rest is history, and we know how that played out.

How the 2025 Bears are Reminiscent of the 2018 Chiefs

This past offseason, Chicago was one of the most talked-about teams in the sports media landscape. Quarterback Caleb Williams - whose pro comp throughout his college career was Mahomes - was coming off a tumultuous rookie campaign, which the Bears lost 10 of their final 11 games after starting the season 4-2.

As stated, the former first-overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft was shaky in his inaugural season in the league, completing 62.5 percent of his passes for 3,541 yards, 20 touchdowns, and six interceptions. Head coach Matt Eberflus was fired after the Thanksgiving debacle in which Eberflus did not use one of Chicago's three remaining timeouts, leading to the clock expiring, as the Bears were driving.

With Chicago's head coach position opening up, the public was screaming for the Bears to hire Detroit Lions' offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who had played a pivotal role in the team's revitalization and explosive offense with Jared Goff behind center. Chicago's front office fulfilled those calls, hiring Johnson last offseason, providing hope and direction for Williams' development.

Similarly to 2018, the quarterback in this situation - Williams - was heavily scrutinized following his rookie season, and the head coach - Ben Johnson - was left unscathed. Now, Reid was included in the process of drafting Mahomes, while Johnson inherited Williams, although he essentially chose Williams, as he took the Bears' job because the USC product was the signal caller.

Chicago's season started with two losses, which temporarily confirmed opinions of those who doubted Williams prospects of developing into a franchise quarterback. However, the inverse of the 2024 season transpired, as, instead of losing 10 of 11 games, the Bears would win 10 of their next 11 games, owning 9-3 record heading into Week 14. Despite losing the final two games of the regular season, Chicago would win the NFC North with an 11-6 record, earning the No. 2 seed in the NFC.

When juxtaposing Mahomes' first year starting (second season in the NFL) and Williams second year as a starter, it is apparent that the 10th-overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft was much more refined, as Williams' completion percentage dipped from his rookie season to 58.1.

Both teams' defenses compare relatively closely as well, as both units ranked in the bottom third in the league in points allowed per game. In 2018, the Chiefs' defense allowed 26.3 points per game, which ranked 24th in the NFL. This season, the Bears' defense allowed 24.4 points per game, which ranked 23rd in the NFL. Evidently, both teams were dependent on winning in shootouts, which prevented Kansas City from reaching the Super Bowl that year.

This season, including the playoffs, Chicago has seven comeback wins, which is when Williams has shown his similar play-making ability to Mahomes'. The 24-year-old quarterback orchestrated an 18-point comeback win over the Green Bay Packers last weekend in the Wild Card game. Chicago's path to success is an unsustainable route, but the Bears' magical fourth quarters have led to several improbable victories throughout the season.

The Bears will attempt to replicate the Chiefs' conference title appearance when they face the Rams at Soldier Field. If that happens, the comparisons between the two teams will be officially on the same wavelength.