Bear Digest

Bears' Caleb Williams ranked ahead of Drake Maye by prominent analyst

Despite being a leading MVP candidate, is Drake Maye still chasing Caleb Williams?
Pete Martuneac|
David Banks-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

The 2025 NFL season may be one of the best in recent memory for the Chicago Bears, especially after that miraculous Wild Card win over the Green Bay Packers, but the fans did not quite get everything on their wish list. For one thing, the franchise's shameful record of never having had a quarterback throw for 4,000 yards in a season goes on for at least one more year after Caleb Williams fell agonizingly short of that mark.

Second, and also related to the quarterback, Williams once again finished the season behind another quarterback from his draft class, this time New England's Drake Maye. Drafted third overall in 2024, Maye showcased one of the greatest one-year turnarounds for a young quarterback that we've ever seen, making himself a legitimate MVP candidate. Williams showed plenty of improvement himself, but he will likely not receive a single MVP vote.

However, not everyone thinks that Maye's MVP-level season puts him above Williams in the quarterback pecking order. Prominent (and polarizing) sports analyst Skip Bayless recently gave his ranking of all eight quarterbacks who are still alive in the NFL playoffs, and he placed Williams one spot above Maye, at No. 2 overall.

While this will surely garner plenty of eyerolls, especially from Patriots fans, I don't think Bayless is wrong in his rankings. I want to first make clear that Maye deserves all the credit in the world for this fantastic season. He's proven to be a true franchise quarterback for the Patriots and the long-sought heir to Tom Brady. However, it's undeniable that he and the Patriots benefited from a historically easy schedule.

Patriots fans will argue that's not fair, claiming they can only play the team in front of them, but the strength of schedule criticism stands nonetheless. Not even a win over the hapless Chargers in the Wild Card helps their case, and an argument could be made that their upcoming game against the Texans will be their first true test all season.

Caleb Williams has something extra that puts him above his peers

What I think really puts Williams above Maye is something that isn't quantifiable, something that won't be found in the box score, and that's showing up in the clutch. All the greatest athletes of all time would have their bad games, but you knew you could count on them when the chips were down and everything was on the line. Think Michael Jordan, Steph Curry, or Tom Brady.

Williams, who has earned the moniker Iceman for his calm, cool demeanor in high-pressure situations, already belongs in that crowd. Not for the accolades, of course, but he has the same clutch gene, and being good in the clutch can erase a multitude of faults. Maye, for all his positive qualities, hasn't yet had a signature, legacy-defining throw as Williams' fourth-and-eight dime to Rome Odunze in the Wild Card round.

The Bears needed a superhuman play to keep their season alive, and Williams happily put on the Superman cape. There's one, maybe two, quarterbacks in the world who could also make that throw, and they would be Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen. Maye can make some tremendous plays, and indeed he has, but I don't think he could ever pull this off.

That throw is how legends are born, and the legend of the Iceman is just getting started. Maye should go on to have a great career in New England, but it feels inevitable that Caleb Williams' breakout season will lead to a decade of complete dominance.

Caleb William
Matt Marton-Imagn Images

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Pete Martuneac
PETE MARTUNEAC

A former Marine and Purdue Boilermaker, Pete has been covering the Chicago Bears since 2022 as a senior contributor on BearsTalk. He lives with his wife, two kids and loyal dog.

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