There are high expectations for Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams heading into his third season, where he’s poised to establish himself as the long-term answer for the franchise and set himself up for a massive payday at season’s end.
Williams is coming off a breakout season where he emerged as one of the league’s most clutch quarterbacks leading an NFL-record seven fourth-quarter comebacks, including a wild-card win over the Green Bay Packers. Williams also set the franchise single-season passing record (3,942 yards) and fell just shy of becoming the Bears‘ first 4,000-yard passer. He made some of the NFL’s best throws of the season with his pure playmaking ability. And that was all in just Year 1 with head coach and offensive guru Ben Johnson.
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While Williams wasn’t among the top 10 favorites for MVP among a group of ESPN analysts, Matt Bowen did make a bold prediction that the former No. 1 pick will in fact win the MVP award.
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Chicago Bears 2026 schedule
Week 1: at Carolina Panthers, Sunday, Sept. 13, 1 p.m. ET
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Chicago Bears 2026 schedule
Week 1: at Carolina Panthers, Sunday, Sept. 13, 1 p.m. ET
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Chicago Bears 2026 schedule
Week 2: vs. Minnesota Vikings, Sunday, Sept. 20, 1 p.m. ET
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Chicago Bears 2026 schedule
Week 3: vs. Philadelphia Eagles, Monday, Sept. 28, 8:05 p.m. ET
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Chicago Bears 2026 schedule
Week 4: vs. New York Jets, Sunday, Oct. 4, 1 p.m. ET
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Chicago Bears 2026 schedule
Week 5: at Green Bay Packers, Sunday, Oct. 11, 4:25 p.m. ET
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Chicago Bears 2026 schedule
Week 6: at Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, Oct. 18, 1 p.m. ET
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Chicago Bears 2026 schedule
Week 7: vs. New England Patriots, Thursday, Oct. 22, 8:15 p.m. ET
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Chicago Bears 2026 schedule
Week 8: at Seattle Seahawks, Monday, Nov. 1, 8:05 p.m. ET
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Chicago Bears 2026 schedule
Week 9: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sunday, Nov. 8, 8:15 p.m. ET
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Chicago Bears 2026 schedule (Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images)
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Chicago Bears 2026 schedule
Week 11: vs. New Orleans Saints, Sunday, Nov. 22, 1 p.m. ET
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Chicago Bears 2026 schedule
Week 12: at Detroit Lions, Thursday, Nov. 26, 1 p.m. ET
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Chicago Bears 2026 schedule
Week 13: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, Sunday, Dec. 6, 1 p.m. ET
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Chicago Bears 2026 schedule
Week 14: at Miami Dolphins, Sunday, Dec. 13, 1 p.m. ET
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Chicago Bears 2026 schedule
Week 15: at Buffalo Bills, Saturday, Dec. 19, 8:20 p.m. ET
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Chicago Bears 2026 schedule
Week 16: vs. Green Bay Packers, Friday, Dec. 25, 1 p.m. ET
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Chicago Bears 2026 schedule
Week 17: vs. Detroit Lions, Sunday, Jan. 3, 4:25 p.m. ET
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8 things to know about the 2026 Bears schedule
Week 18: at Minnesota Vikings, Sunday, Jan. 10, Time TBA
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Williams threw for 3,942 yards and 27 touchdowns in 2025, his first season under coach Ben Johnson. With another offseason to develop in Johnson’s system, the Bears QB is primed to play at a high level in 2026. Plus, he has a versatile and explosive group of pass catchers. The arrow is pointing up on Williams — and Johnson’s playcalling.
While Williams was one of the most exciting parts about the NFL last season, the crazy thing is he hasn’t even neared the ceiling of his potential. This second season with Johnson should be a turning point for the young quarterback as he gets more comfortable in the offense and perfects his short passing game to complement his insane deep-ball and off-platform ability.
Will that equate to an MVP award this season? Who’s to say, but there’s no denying that Williams certainly has it in him to be the NFL’s best. We’ll see if Johnson can get him there.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears QB Caleb Williams dubbed MVP dark horse in 2026