NFL Insider's Bold NFC North Prediction For Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears

As the Chicago Bears' first preseason game against the Miami Dolphins approaches, expectations are as high as ever for Chicago quarterback Caleb Williams and the Bears' newly-hired coach, Ben Johnson.

After a successful tenure as the offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions, Johnson is widely considered an "offensive genius," leading many to believe that the former USC Trojans quarterback will excel with Johnson's leadership.

In fact, Fox Sports' Nick Wright predicted that Williams will be considered the best quarterback in the NFC North, partially because of Williams' continued development but also because of expected regressions from Detroit Lions' Jared Goff and Green Bay Packers' Jordan Love.

Caleb Williams: Best QB in NFC North?

Chicago Bears Ben Johnson Caleb Williams NFC North Detroit Lions USC Trojans Jordan Love Jared Goff Detroit Lion — Jul 24, 2025; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson speaks during training camp at Halas Hall. | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

"By the end of this season, Caleb Williams will be, by many, considered the best quarterback in his division. I think Jared Goff is going to suffer a bit from the lack of Ben Johnson," said Wright. "As much as you don't like Ben Johnson the head coach, you loved Ben Johnson the coordinator, and the early reports out of that training camp are that that transition's been a little rocky."

"And I think we're gonna see a fair amount of 'J-No' to go along with 'J-Lo,' and so not that he's going to have the best stats over the course, but because of how he finishes the season, because of how he looks over the final six weeks," Wright continued.

Jul 31, 2025; Canton, Ohio, USA; Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) warms up before the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Goff and Johnson had success while in Detroit together, but will the Lions' offense suffer as much as Wright believes with Chicago hiring Johnson away from Detroit? As for Love and the Packers, the Green Bay quarterback has impressed in his first two years as the full-time starter, averaging 3,774 passing yards and 28.5 passing touchdowns over the season.

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"Goff slides a bit, J-Lo stays kind of static where he was last year, and Caleb by the end of the year takes a big leap," Wright concluded in his prediction.

The Fox Sports analyst did not mention the Minnesota Vikings or quarterback J.J. McCarthy who missed his entire rookie season with a knee injury. The Vikings moved on from quarterback Sam Darnold in favor of handing the offense over to McCarthy. Can the Minnesota signal-caller perform above expectations?

Wright believes that Williams career might resemble the ascension of Love once he became the Packers' starting quarterback:

"Like how we felt Jordan Love after his first year as the starter, a lot of people were like, 'I think he's the best quarterback in that division right now,'" said Wright.

Caleb Williams' Development

Jul 24, 2025; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) passes the ball during training camp at Halas Hall. | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Williams had an up-and-down rookie season, but he proved his ability to adjust while in college. The former Trojans star won the Heisman Trophy in 2022, but he actually increased his completion percentage and quarterback rating during his third season of college football, his second with USC.

Can Williams continue to adjust to the NFL? Johnson recently revealed that Williams will not play in the team's preseason opener against Miami. However, the Bears quarterback could appear in either of Chicago's other two preseason games.