Bear Digest

Caleb Williams' pursuit of Bears history set to continue after bye week

Caleb Williams is chasing a historic milestone with the Chicago Bears — and his pursuit will pick up again once the team returns from its bye week.
Bryan Perez|
Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

In this story:

Chicago Bears

Chicago Bears fans have endured a lot of pain over the years. The team's recent history has been as bad as it gets, especially following two failed coaching regimes -- Matt Nagy and Matt Eberflus -- and two failed first-round quarterbacks -- Mitch Trubisky and Justin Fields.

It's been really hard for Bears Nation to remain optimistic when so much has gone wrong year after year. But that seems to finally be changing in 2025.

Sure, it's early. But Ben Johnson is a very different breed of coach who's brought with him a very different identity and culture that's already taking shape after just one quarter of the 2025 season.

Take Week 4's come-from-behind victory, for example. The same old Bears would've found a way to give that game ot the Las Vegas Raiders. Daniel Carlson's last-second game-winning try would've found a way to split the uprights and send the Bears home from Sin City with another unforgiveable loss.

But not this team, not these Bears. Instead, Chicago is 2-2 at their bye week thanks to Josh Blackwell's heroic block to seal the win.

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) prepares to throw the ball
Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

This could also be a team that, for the first time in franchise history, has a 4,000-yard passer. And if quarterback Caleb Williams is able to accomplish that feat, he'll simultaneously rewrite the Bears' single-season record books.

His current pace has him really close to getting there.

Williams is tracking to end the 2025 season with 3,940 passing yards and 34 passing touchdowns.

Both would upend Chicago's current single-season records -- both held by Erik Kramer.

Kramer threw for 3,838 yards and 29 touchdowns in 1995.

Yes, it's been 30 years since Kramer's record-setting season, and over a century of Bears football without a 4,000-yard passer.

It's surprising that Williams is pacing to break the Chicago Bears' passing record, even if he falls shy of the 4K mark.

With a bye week to refocus and prepare for a stretch of winnable games for the Chicago Bears, some monster performances could be in the cards for the 2024 first overall pick.

Bears fans are hoping the longest-running joke in the NFL will finally come to an end this season, and it's Williams whose right arm controls that fate.

More Chicago Bears News

Published
Bryan Perez
BRYAN PEREZ

Bryan Perez founded and operated Bears Talk, a Chicago sports blog. Prior to that, he covered the Bears for USA Today’s Bears Wire and NBC Sports Chicago. In addition to his Chicago Bears coverage, Perez is a respected member of NFL Draft media and was a past winner of The Huddle's Mock Draft competition. Bryan's past life includes time as a Northeast scout for the CFL's Ottawa Redblacks.

Home/News