Bear Digest

Caleb Williams Finishes 2025 Far Behind Drake Maye in Madden Rating

Despite a breakout season, Caleb Williams still hasn't proven to be the best of his draft class.
Pete Martuneac|
Matt Marton-Imagn Images

In this story:

Chicago Bears

The 2025 NFL season could not have gone much better for the Chicago Bears. They ended a seven-year drought of division titles by clinching the 2025 NFC North championship in Week 17. Their shameful 15-year stretch without a playoff victory came to an end with a miraculous Wild Card win over the Green Bay Packers. Meanwhile, Caleb Williams' breakout season silenced any talk about whether the Bears had drafted another bust.

However, as good as the Bears' season was, they still left a lot of meat on the bone. They were one completed pass away from beating the Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional round and advancing to the NFC Championship game. Caleb Williams fell agonizingly short of Bears history, coming within 58 yards of marking Chicago's first season with a 4,000-yard passer. And, as the rotten cherry on top, there is still doubt about whether Chicago drafted the right quarterback.

Chicago has "their guy", but did they get "the guy"?

In 2024, as Williams struggled amid a chaotic coaching situation, the No. 2 overall pick, Jayden Daniels, was thriving in Washington and won the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award. In 2025, Daniels regressed heavily while Williams advanced by leaps and bounds, and yet he still has not cemented himself as the star of the 2024 quarterback class.

That honor currently rests with Drake Maye, the No. 3 overall pick from 2024. His breakout season ended miles ahead of Williams as a legitimate MVP candidate and a Super Bowl contender. But that's not all. Maye also finished the season far ahead of Williams in the latest Madden NFL video game.

Williams' rating improved by 10 points to a respectable 85, while Maye went from a lowly 78 to 94, landing him among the NFL's elite quarterbacks.

Art imitates life, and so do video games

Many fans will wave this away as unimportant. It's just a video game, after all. But it's more than that. EA Sports, the makers of the Madden video games, adjust players' ratings throughout the season based on performance. An 85 rating is good, but the Bears did not draft Caleb Williams with the first overall pick of 2024 to get a 'good' quarterback. They expected an elite quarterback, and so far, the only quarterback from that class to play to that standard was drafted two slots after Williams.

If there's a silver lining here, it's that Williams finds himself in good company. Green Bay's Jordan Love, considered an MVP candidate until late in the season, is rated at 87, two points ahead of Williams. Jared Goff of Detroit is only three points ahead. Meanwhile, Williams leapfrogged ahead of Jalen Hurts (83), Baker Mayfield (85), and two other quarterbacks from his draft class: Jayden Daniels (79) and Bo Nix (81).

And the best part is that Williams is just getting started. Remember, this was Year 1 with Ben Johnson. The 2025 version of Williams is the worst that he's going to be going forward. His breakout season was nothing more than a shot across the bow. What follows next is a full broadside, and NFL defenses better be ready for it.

Caleb William
Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

More Chicago Bears News:

Sign Up For the Bears Daily Digest - OnSI’s Free Chicago Bears Newsletter

Published
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.

Home/News