Bears' Caleb Williams must clear two hurdles to have successful 2026 season

The Chicago Bears had an incredible 2025 season, and there's plenty of reason to believe in this team entering 2026 in year two of the Ben Johnson era.

Caleb Williams needs to make the next leap to get the Bears over the hump, but there's no reason not to believe he can do so next year. However, it's not going to be all smooth sailing for Williams in his third season in the NFL.

As Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon highlighted, Williams has to clear two major hurdles in 2026 to have a successful season, and neither is a simple one to overcome.

Caleb Williams must clear two hurdles to have good Bears season

"Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears: Big changes at key spots," Gagnon writes. "Gone are veteran receiver DJ Moore and Pro Bowl center Drew Dalman as the third-year quarterback faces substantial pressure to improve on an unacceptable sub-60 completion rate from his sophomore season."

While his completion percentage does need to improve, in the second year in Johnson's offense, there's reason to have optimism that Williams will be more efficient in 2026.

However, DJ Moore leaving in a trade to join the Buffalo Bills and Drew Dalman retiring out of nowhere are some massive issues for Williams in 2026.

At wide receiver, Rome Odunze and Luther Burden will be taking on the lead role in the offense, with tight end Colston Loveland being a big factor in the receiving game.

MORE: Bears need Luther Burden III and Colston Loveland to step up with DJ Moore traded

But with Moore in Buffalo, it's fair to question this Bears offense. The retirement of Dalman, however, might be a bigger issue.

Having good center play is very important for an offensive line, and while Garrett Bradbury isn't the worst option, and rookie Logan Jones could even win the starting job, this position is a huge question mark.

Even if the Bears are confident in these two center options, compared to the security of Dalman, Williams might be facing a bit more uncertainty right up the middle this upcoming season.

These are two major hurdles for Williams and the Bears' offense to clear to have a successful 2026 season. The WR and C positions are in flux, and if they don't pose a problem, then Williams' chance to have a great 2026 increases significantly.

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