Caleb Williams is coming off of an impressive season last year for the Chicago Bears and now has a chance to show that it wasn’t a coincidence. Fox Sports talk show host Colin Cowherd made waves on his show ‘The Herd with Colin Cowherd‘ with his top 10 quarterbacks list. Williams was very high on the list, finishing in third, following just behind Josh Allen and Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Caleb Williams Labeled Top 3 Quarterback in NFL by Popular Talk Show Host
1. Josh Allen
2. Patrick Mahomes
3-10. 👀@colincowherd ranks his top 10 QBs entering the 2026 season pic.twitter.com/KBAxEsZ0fY— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) May 13, 2026
Cowherd had three criteria for the list: Production (Yards, Touchdowns, Elevating Others), Durability and Potential/Momentum. Some of the quarterbacks that missed this list included Jordan Love, Dak Prescott, Jayden Daniels and Baker Mayfield.
Caleb Williams Toward the Top of the List for Production
Williams found himself at the top of the list right behind two of the game’s best, and it is understandable why people like Cowherd have grown to favor Williams. Cowherd first pointed out Williams’ TD-to-Interception ratio. In Williams’ first two seasons, he has 47 touchdowns to 13 interceptions. Williams himself has prided himself on his awareness of not turning the ball over, and his first two seasons in the pros have helped carry over what was a strong emphasis for him in college.
However, it wasn’t just the production value that helped Williams claim a top-three spot.
Caleb Williams is One of the Best for Durability
Caleb Williams has not missed a game yet in the NFL. In what was a shaky 2024 season for the Bears, it is amazing that Williams’ durability has shone through. His entire career has actually seen Williams rarely, if ever, miss games due to injury.
This may not be a big deal for some, but it actually has been part of the reason the Bears have started well over 40 different signal callers at one point in the Franchise’s history. Jay Cutler, Mitch Trubisky and Justin Fields all missed time while in the Windy City, but Williams has not.
Caleb Willaims Hailed for His Arm Talent
Williams’ arm talent is another big reason why people fell in love with him during his college years and entering the pros. His arm strength hasn’t left him, and neither have the big plays. While 2024 was a struggle to get anything going, last season was a big shift in terms of the big plays. Ben Johnson likes to feast on big, game-changing, explosive plays.
The Bears were tops in the league at generating them, and part of that was because of Williams being able to deliver strikes similar to prime Aaron Rodgers. The zip he provides is not something you see out of every quarterback, and it has paid off for Williams.
Caleb Williams Has So Much Potential
The last hurdle was momentum and potential. Williams, now just entering his third year, is poised for a big breakout. His second season saw more highs than lows, but he still needed to grow in areas like accuracy. His sack avoidance is one of the best in football, and he ended up lowering his sack rate from a league worst to league best, going from 28% in 2024 to 13% in 2025.
The Bears obviously are coming off of one of the best seasons in Franchise history. Some might say they are due for regression, but I don’t see this being a 2025 Washington Commanders situation in Chicago.
One of the biggest reasons is health. If your starting quarterback isn’t on the field, it is gonna be harder and harder to maintain a competitive advantage when you’re constantly shuffling guys, especially at the game’s most important position. Daniels, who was a significant injury risk going into the NFL, and last year showed why people were concerned about his durability.
Also, the Bears haven’t made the big, aggressive push for a major splash. They could have traded for Maxx Crosby, who ultimately stayed in Las Vegas, and signaled their intent of banking on the group they got. Instead, Poles has maintained a steady flow of picks and limited bad contracts (although they still have some) for future flexibility. As long as Williams continues his trajectory, he has MVP potential in him. No, the Chicago Bears are trying to be about sustained success
