Caleb Williams Might Be the Chicago Bears' Most Egregious Pro Bowl Snub Yet

The NFL needed to find a replacement for Matthew Stafford in the NFC, They clearly picked the wrong guy.

Jan 18, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) throws a pass against the Los Angeles Rams during the third quarter of an NFC Divisional Round game at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

First off, I feel the need to mention that the Pro Bowl has been a joke for a long time. I miss the days when fans could enjoy seeing Sean Taylor absolutely destroy Bills punter Brian Moorman on a fake punt. That was my Pro Bowl.

Now, we have the "Pro Bowl Games", which will feature a 7-on-7 flag football game and a few of the competitions that were popularized at your middle school's 'field day' at the end of the year. Who doesn't want to watch Maxx Crosby walk 15 feet while balancing an egg on a spoon? Although I admit, I wouldn't mind seeing him do it in a Chicago Bears jersey next year.

With all that aside, it's still a recognition that players strive for. Ten career appearances at the 'Pro Bowl Games' makes for one helluva Hall of Fame resume. It may not be an All-Pro nod, but it's a legacy sweetener. It matters to the players.

While Caleb Williams might have enjoyed a breakout season, he wasn't expected to make the Pro Bowl this season.

Both conferences only have three quarterbacks on their roster, and the NFC featured the only three QBs who eclipsed 4500 passing yards this season. Those same QBs were in the top four in passing touchdowns. Two of them, Matthew Stafford and Dak Prescott, were on the initial Pro Bowl roster. Somewhat surprisingly, Sam Darnold grabbed the third spot over Jared Goff (the other QB in that conversation).

However, when Darnold's Seahawks made the Super Bowl, Goff was named to the Pro Bowl as the NFC's top alternate. No complaints there. He deserved it.

Things got interesting when Stafford withdrew his name from the games, though. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts then took his spot as the NFC's fifth alternate.

Jalen Hurts has been named to the Pro Bowl Games ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/6PvMhffNl2

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) January 30, 2026

Now THAT makes no sense to me.

Don't get me wrong, Hurts had a good year. He had a career high with 25 passing touchdowns and only had six interceptions. He also ran for 421 yards and eight rushing scores. The Eagles may not have lived up to their sky-high expectations entering the year, but it was a good season.

He was not better than Caleb Williams this year, though. Not in any way.

Williams' 3942 passing yards rank fifth in the NFC, behind the (previous) four Pro Bowlers in Goff, Stafford, Prescott, and Darnold. His 27 passing touchdowns rank fourth behind Goff, Prescott, and Stafford (he actually threw two more touchdowns and seven fewer interceptions than Darnold, but that's a story for another day).

Some might say, 'Well, Jalen Hurts actually had 33 rushing touchdowns if you account for the rushing scores.' Okay, fine. I guess I won't grade the tush push on a curve. Jalen Hurts is an ELITE scrambler. He can do things that Caleb Williams simply cannot. He can get pushed from behind with the best of them.

All sarcasm aside, Williams added 388 yards and three scores on the ground. He also caught a touchdown pass. He accounted for 31 touchdowns to Hurts' 33 scores. He also turned the ball over two fewer times and threw for 718 more yards!

Oh, and if it matters, he also holds the head-to-head record over Hurts. The Bears beat the Eagles by a score of 24-15 on Black Friday.

Any way you slice it, Williams was far more deserving of a Pro Bowl nod than Hurts this year. He may have had his struggles early on, but he was one of the most electric players in the league.

When it comes to the NFC quarterbacks, there were the four top guys (although you could make a strong case that Williams played better than Darnold for much of the year), and then Williams. The Bears QB was by far the best of the rest.

It's a shame that we won't see the Bears QB sashaying down the field (yup, that's a reference to Ty Dunne's article where he basically compared Williams to JaMarcus Russell before the season began) while attempting to balance a spoon on his nose next week.

More Chicago Bears News

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• Ranking the Chicago Bears' Most Glaring Weaknesses Entering 2026 Offseason

• Caleb Williams' Breakout Season Earns Him a Prestigious Honor

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