Caleb Williams was snubbed in preseason QB rankings by CBS Sports' Pete Prisco. On Thursday, Prisco released his list of top 10 quarterbacks, omitting Williams.
What happened?
The list included quarterbacks like Matthew Stafford, Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, and Joe Burrow, but not Williams. Jordan Love, the Green Bay Packers quarterback, made the list at No. 7.
Why it matters for Caleb Williams
Williams had a better statistical season than Love, throwing for 3,942 passing yards, 27 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. Love threw for 3,381 passing yards, 23 touchdowns, and six interceptions.
The Chicago Bears, led by Williams, beat the Packers twice last season, including a heroic fourth-quarter comeback in the Wild Card round of the playoffs.
What comes next?
The Bears will face the Packers twice this season, giving Williams a chance to prove himself against Love. The Packers' defense may struggle after hiring Jonathan Gannon as defensive coordinator, who had a top-10 defense with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022 but struggled as the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals in 2023.
Williams broke Erik Kramer's record for single-season passing yards, throwing for 3,942 yards compared to Kramer's 3,838. He was also three passing touchdowns shy of setting a new record in that stat.
The Bears' success last season was not enough to earn Williams respect around the league. They will look to prove themselves again this season, starting with their matchups against the Packers.
Williams finished his second NFL season with 3,942 passing yards, 27 touchdowns, and seven interceptions, improving on his rookie season stats of 3,541 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, and six interceptions.
The Packers' defense ranked 27th in passing yards allowed, 29th in rushing yards allowed, and 19th in takeaways under Gannon's leadership with the Cardinals.
The Bears will look to capitalize on the Packers' potential defensive struggles and prove that Williams is one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL.