Caleb Williams breaks through where 37 Bears starters failed

Caleb Williams’ latest performance did more than deliver a playoff win. It shifted how the Chicago Bears are being discussed nationally and reopened a long-dormant conversation about stability at quarterback.

Chicago trailed early Saturday night against the Green Bay Packers, and Williams’ frustration was easy to spot during a difficult first half.

The tone changed completely after the break. Williams took control of the offense and authored a 25-point fourth quarter, lifting the Bears to their first postseason victory in 15 years.

The comeback marked Chicago’s seventh fourth-quarter rally of the season and ended another painful chapter in a rivalry that has defined the franchise’s struggles. 

That performance quickly drew strong reactions from around the league. Former NFL defensive lineman Gerald McCoy offered perhaps the boldest assessment yet while speaking on NFL Network’s GameDay.

“America, Caleb Williams is the best Bears quarterback ever, and I’m saying this in Year 2,” McCoy said. “I’m saying this in Year 2 because he’s got the rookie passing record, he’s got the single-season passing record, he’s got the most touchdown passes over the first two years, he’s got the single-game playoff passing record. He’s by far the most talented quarterback to ever walk through that door.”

While Chicago’s offense has faced criticism for slow starts, Williams’ trajectory under head coach Ben Johnson continues to point upward, especially when games tighten late.

A rivalry finally reshaped by the Bears quarterback position

For decades, the Bears-Packers rivalry has leaned heavily in Green Bay’s favor, largely due to quarterback continuity.

The Packers transitioned from Brett Favre, who arrived in 1992, to Aaron Rodgers in 2008, stacking Hall of Fame production across generations. Over that same period, Chicago cycled through 37 different starting quarterbacks, compared with just nine for Green Bay.

Williams added his name to Bears history by becoming the first Chicago quarterback to defeat the Packers twice in one season since Jim Harbaugh accomplished the feat in 1991. 

Chicago has swept Green Bay before, doing so in 2005 and 2007, but those seasons were marked by quarterback turnover. Kyle Orton and Rex Grossman split starts in 2005, while Brian Griese and Orton alternated in 2007. No single Bears quarterback had started both wins in either sweep.

The irony is that Williams nearly erased the streak a year earlier. He drove Chicago into position for a game-winning kick in Week 11, only for a blocked field goal to seal a 20-19 loss. The Bears rebounded to win the season finale 24-22.

The rivalry’s imbalance has always been tied to the play of the quarterbacks. Jordan Love has solidified himself for Green Bay, but Williams’ emergence suggests Chicago may finally have a long-term answer.

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