NFC North QB power rankings at Chicago Bears' bye week

As the Chicago Bears enter their bye week, here’s how the NFC North quarterbacks stack up — including where Caleb Williams stands among the group.

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The Chicago Bears are enjoying a well-deserved bye week after fighting back against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 4's come-from-behind win, which evened up their record at 2-2.

Indeed, the Bears are still quite a ways away from being considered a legitimate playoff team, but the improved production from coach Ben Johnson's offense, most notably from quarterback Caleb Williams, has the optimism meter as high as it's been since the early summer months.

Williams is enjoying what some might call a breakout second season. I think a better way to describe his 2025 campaign so far would be something like, 'exciting improvement.'

Through four games this season, Williams has completed 62.3% of his passes for 927 yards. He's tossed eight touchdowns to just two interceptions -- an impressive 4:1 ratio.

But if the Bears are going to have any chance at competing for an NFC North title -- or even a wild card berth -- Williams must continue his ascension up the quarterback ranks.

Here's where he currently slots in among NFC North starters.

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1. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions

Goff remains the top quarterback in the NFC North, but the gap is closing. He's led the Lions to a 3-1 record before Week 5's games, and is proving that Ben Johnson wasn't the only key to his success. He's completing nearly 74% of his passes this season.

2. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers

I struggled between Love and Williams for this slot, but for the sake of not sounding like a homer, we'll give Love the nod ... for now. Love reminds me of a well-polished Mitch Trubisky, which is equal parts compliment and criticism. I don't think he has elite upside, but he's proving he can keep the Packers relevant as a playoff team as long as he's healthy.

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3. Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears

It's undeniable that Williams has the most upside of any NFC North quarterback. He's taking steady steps in his development under Ben Johnson, as you'd hope a young quarterback would, and the vibes around the 2024 first overall pick have never been higher. I don't anticipate Williams being ranked this low much longer.

4. JJ McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings

Unlike Williams, the vibes around JJ McCarthy are as low as they've been since he was selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He's looked terrible in his limited action this season, and he's quickly proving to be an injury-prone player. The Vikings might be staring down the barrel of a very serious quarterback problem.

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