Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams is coming off a quietly impressive rookie season where he showed plenty of promise despite a chaotic situation that featured an in-season head coach hiring, three different offensive coordinators, a 10-game losing streak and being sacked a league-high 68 times.
But there's no denying the future appears bright for Williams, who set franchise and NFL rookie records while passing for 3,541 yards, 20 touchdowns and six interceptions. Still, that wasn't enough for one Pro Football Focus analyst to declare Williams' ceiling in the NFL is Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love, who has been serviceable in just two seasons as a starter.
FS1 host Danny Parkins took offense to Williams' ceiling being comped to Love and, during a segment on "First Things First," he boldly claimed the former No. 1 pick is already better than the Packers QB after just one season.
"Caleb Williams, already than Jordan Love," Parkins said. "How about that?"
His reasoning? Williams' ability to protect the football when compared to his Green Bay counterpart.
"Jordan Love has played the majority of two seasons," Parkins said. "Both of those seasons, double digit interceptions. Here's the thing about Jordan Love, guy had 11 interceptions both years he played. Caleb Williams played 17 games last year, had six."
And, for what it's worth, Williams had 100 more pass attempts (562) than Love (425) as he played every game in 2024, while Love missed two. When you look closer at last season, it's even more impressive that Williams was able to protect the ball more than his offensive line was able to protect him.
But the Bears have prioritized Williams' development this offseason, starting with the hiring of new head coach Ben Johnson, who helped resurrect Jared Goff's career and wanted to go to Chicago to coach Williams. The Bears also revamped their interior offensive line with the additions of guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson, as well as center Drew Dalman, and added even more weapons in rookies Colston Loveland and Luther Burden III.
The cool thing is we haven't even glimpsed Williams' ceiling as an NFL quarterback. But the stage is set for a potential breakout season as Chicago's young QB gets to work with one of the league's brightest offensive minds.
As for those comparisons to his division rival, it could very well be a conversation that's ongoing for years to come -- or perhaps Williams will prove Parkins right as early as this season.
