Caleb Williams Sets Super Bowl Standard for Bears Entering 2026 Season

Caleb Williams met with the media as the Chicago Bears opened their offseason program Monday, and his energy made it clear he couldn’t wait to be back.

“I've been itching to get back, honestly, since the [Rams] game and trying not to text Ben too much,” he said, referring to head coach Ben Johnson.

Williams' second season in the NFL was much better than his first, when there were whispers already starting about whether the Bears made the wrong selection with the first overall pick in the 2024 draft.

Last year painted a different picture for Williams, who set the Bears' single-season passing record with 3,942 yards and 27 touchdowns. He led Chicago to its first playoff appearance since 2018 and came this close to an NFC Championship berth.

"It was good for me to be able to see, to be able to feel, to be able to go out there and win games," Williams said. "But that wasn't my goal. That's not my goal. That's not where I want to be. I want to be the best. I want to go win. I want to be, as we call it, a world champion. A Super Bowl champion. I want to be the best Bear quarterback, the best quarterback."

Caleb Williams Already Moving Beyond 2025 Breakout Season

Williams may already be the best Bears' QB of all-time after just two seasons. Sure, some could say that's hyperbole... but, is it?

Of course, he has much more to accomplish as a pro. And he knows it.

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"That was a good stepping stone for me. But that wasn't the last stepping stone," Williams said. "Being able to grow off of last year and be able to progress in ways that I want to? That last year really wasn't anything. It was a good year. We've got many more good years coming up."

It's a message that should resonate inside Halas Hall. Caleb Williams isn’t chasing validation anymore. He’s chasing legacy. The numbers from last season, the playoff run, the flashes of greatness, they’re already in the rearview mirror.

What matters now is whether he can turn that mindset into sustained dominance. If he does, the conversation won’t be about whether he’s the best quarterback in Bears history. It will be about how far he can take a franchise that finally has one.