Caleb Williams, Shedeur Sanders Matchup After NFL Schedule Reveal?

For the Chicago Bears, this season has more anticipation than any in recent memory. Second-year quarterback & former USC Trojans’ star Caleb Williams has a new staff led by coach Ben Johnson and a significantly upgraded roster, especially offensively.

When looking at the schedule, there are a handful of games that are noteworthy, but a potential Week 14 matchup against the Cleveland Browns could be especially electric should rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders be the starting quarterback at that point.

NFL schedule release day is arguably as big of an event as there is during the offseason outside of the NFL Scouting Combine and the NFL Draft. Fans clamor for it, looking for their potential destinations to attend, and simply to predict their favorite team’s record. The media gets to dissect the potential marquee matchups or intriguing games with storylines. Also, social media teams virtually live for this day. The excitement can’t be overstated and for good reason.

Jan 5, 2025; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) prior to the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Williams and Sanders are two of the most notable college football quarterbacks of the past decade, with Williams having dominated and won a Heisman Trophy and various national awards at USC under coach Lincoln Riley and Sanders having been named an All-American, Big-12 Offensive Player of the Year, and Davey O’Brien Award winner. The two quarterbacks played each other once in college as USC beat Colorado 48-41 in 2023.

Beyond the field, Williams and Sanders are incredibly popular, each holding a slew of prominent endorsements.

MORE: USC Trojans Favorites To Land Five-Star Power Forward Recruit Jacy Abii?

MORE: Ranking Big Ten Quarterbacks: Penn State's Drew Allar, USC Trojans’ Jayden Maiava

MORE: USC Trojans Updated Recruiting Rankings After Mater Dei's Shaun Scott Commitment

The potential for the Bears to be in the playoff picture, needing a win over a Browns team that projects to not be very good, but is fielding a defense led by former Defensive Player of the Year, defensive end Myles Garrett, and rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders, would be a major storyline to monitor.

If and when Sanders makes his debut, it’ll be a massive story, but locking horns with Caleb Williams would garner a national audience. Neither team has many primetime slots, but this could potentially be a contest that gets flexed into a national window to maximize viewership with two large names.

Williams and the Bears are already under a microscope, but with the improvements they’ve made across the board, and should those improvements materialize into wins, the expectations only grow larger. Williams and Johnson can help catapult the Bears back into national prominence, and it’s stages like the potential matchup against a lightning rod like Sanders that could send the comeback into overdrive.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) throws during day two of NFL rookie minicamp at the Cleveland Browns training facility on Saturday, May 10, 2025, in Berea, Ohio. | Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Structure and the importance of supporting cast has been emphasized by the Bears this offseason and while the schedule is tough, Williams is still expected to mark a considerable amount of improvement this year. If he does, the level Williams reaches could have Williams in the Pro Bowl conversation and potentially the Bears in the playoff hunt.

Recommended Articles