Bears' Caleb Williams projected to get historic extension if one thing happens

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams' rookie year wasn't anything too spectacular. During that 2024-25 year, Williams started all 17 games, which says a lot for a rookie, and he completed 351 of 562 passes (62.5%) for 3,541 yards and 20 touchdowns. He also had six interceptions.

That was OK, but he did much better when head coach Ben Johnson came on the scene last season. He worked with Williams. He molded him. He discipled him. Williams' 2025-26 season saw the quarterback starting again in all 17 games and setting a single-season franchise passing record with 3,942 yards.

Now, it's time to do it again. This time, maybe he'll go even further, too.

Bears QB Caleb Williams has a lot riding on this season

Fox Sports released a feature with NFL analyst Ben Arthur discussing a group of players in the NFL with "the most to gain" in 2026. He has Williams in there.

"Williams established himself as one of the league's brightest young quarterbacks last season, delivering in the clutch and leading the Bears to their first playoff victory in 15 years," he notes in the piece. "If he builds on what was an impressive second season, he sets himself up for what could be an extension that resets the quarterback market in the 2027 offseason."

So, who would Williams surpass in quarterback pay? Currently, Patrick Mahomes leads the NFL with his massive eight-year, $504.75 million contract averaging $63.1 million annually. After him, it's Dak Prescott at $60 million per year, followed by Josh Allen, Joe Burrow and Trevor Lawrence at $55 million per year.

No matter how well Williams does in 2026-27, it's hard to fathom he'll be valued more than Mahomes. But this is what happens in the NFL when contracts happen, and those numbers reset each other.

So, if Williams can build on what he did last season and perhaps go further in the postseason, he could be up for a truly historic extension. That should give the quarterback some extra motivation when he heads into the 2026-27 season in September. Not that he needed it. But if Williams repeats the success he had last season and adds to it, his payday will quickly bloom.