ESPN weighs in on Bears' Caleb Williams MVP buzz for next season

ESPN weighs in on the growing MVP discussion surrounding Caleb Williams after a season that changed expectations in Chicago.

Matt Marton-Imagn Images

What a season it's been for Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams.

After a 2024 rookie year that had an army of blowhards suggesting the first overall pick would eventually turn into a bust, Williams responded in Year 2 to become one of the most exciting quarterbacks in the NFL.

Williams set the Bears' single-season passing yards record (3,942), breaking Erik Kramer's mark that stood for 30 years. He's the only quarterback under 25 in NFL history to have seven fourth-quarter comeback victories. He led the Bears to their first NFC North title since 2018 and toppled the Packers in a miracle comeback in the Wild Card game, giving Chicago its first playoff victory since 2010.

So, yeah, 2025 has been great to Caleb Williams.

It begs the question: Is Williams a legitimate NFL MVP candidate in 2026?

According to ESPN's Dan Graziano, the answer is yes.

David Banks-Imagn Images

Bears QB Caleb Williams plays like an NFL MVP

"Williams can make throws other quarterbacks can't make, and he appears to be the kind of player whose pulse chills all the way out in the moments that send the pulses of others through the roof," Graziano wrote. "That's why even when it's not going great, you feel as if there's a good chance it eventually will. With Williams in his second season as an NFL quarterback and Ben Johnson in his first year as an NFL head coach, Chicago went 11-6, won a division out of which the other three teams made last season's playoffs and still has a chance to win the whole thing. The Bears have young skill position talent all over the place around Williams. They can spend their offseason beefing up the defense, too. Is there a compelling reason to believe they'll be worse next season than they were this season? Nope.

"Williams should continue improving with this group around him and Johnson coaching him. If next season's Bears win 12 or more, and Williams wins five or six of those in the final two minutes, he can be the darling of the MVP voting body. There are a lot of "ifs" there, sure, but this isn't far-fetched."

I can get on board with this take. In fact, the deeper the Bears go in the 2025 NFL playoffs, the more votes Caleb Williams should get this year.

Ask yourself one question: Where would the Chicago Bears be this season without Caleb Williams?

Yep. He's a legitimate MVP candidate.

More Chicago Bears News:

• These numbers prove how scary the Bears’ second-half offense is

• Former NFL star says Caleb Williams is already the best Bears QB ever

• The Ozzy Trapilo injury news is even worse than we thought

• Caleb Williams and DJ Moore grate cheese postgame, embarrass the Packers even more

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