During each NFL off-season, ESPN polls league coaches, executives, and scouts in an effort to come up with top-10 lists of players at every position. Because quarterback is the most important position on the field in today’s game, this particular list gets a great deal of attention.
Unsurprisingly, the names that topped this year’s list were perennial MVP candidates Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, and Matthew Stafford. As one went farther down the list, though, there were some interesting choices, namely at number ten, where Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams was listed.
ESPN admitted that there was a tie between Williams, Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love, and two others for that final spot. However, they opted to put the Bears star there over the others.
Why ESPN chose Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams over Green Bay Packers QB Jordan Love
ESPN’s decision to rank Williams over Love is as follows:
“Here’s where it gets interesting. Four quarterbacks — Williams, Seattle’sSam Darnold, Green Bay’sJordan Loveand Washington’sJayden Daniels– were very close in voting for the 10th spot. So we took it to tiebreakers, gathering input from several general managers and executives. Why did Williams barely win out for the final spot on the list? He’s the hardest of the four for teams to prepare for and defend.
“‘He’s the most dynamic of the group,’ one GM said. ‘He’s got the arm talent and overall athleticism suited for today’s game.'”
Now, one can only tell so much about players by looking at stats. Indeed, watching a team/player compete on the field tells a far more complete story than stat sheets or box scores.
That all being said, one really has to wonder where the voters were coming from with this decision. A comparison between Love and Williams based on their numbers tells an entirely different story:
| Jordan Love | Caleb Williams | |
|
Completion % |
66.3% | 58.1% |
| Passing Yards |
3,381 |
3,942 |
| Touchdowns |
23 |
27 |
| Interceptions |
6 |
7 |
| Passer Rating |
101.2 |
90.1 |
| QBR | 72.7 |
58.2 |
It is worth noting that Williams played two more games than Love, who missed one game due to a concussion and a second because he was being conserved for the NFL Playoffs.
It is also worth noting that Williams and the Bears tied Love’s Packers 1-1 in the regular season before knocking them out in the NFL Playoffs. Love did not play in their second regular season matchup.
One key question that many have when ranking Williams high on any top quarterback list, though, is his completion percentage, which was an abysmal 58.1%. This is an area that both the Bears quarterback and head coach have said has been an area of focus this off-season, as it was unacceptable last season.
The truth is, though, that all of these lists, even ones made by NFL players and coaches, are subjective, meaning based on opinions. PFF recently came out with their own ranking of NFL quarterbacks, and Love was ranked sixth while Williams was thirteenth.
At the end of the day, what matters is leading a team to victory. Williams did that more than Love did last year, and it will be up to the Packers quarterback to change that narrative.
Needless to say, Chicago and Green Bay’s Christmas Day matchup is going to carry a great deal of weight, as will their other game against each other this season.
