What was initially viewed as a partnership built for success is now facing unexpected scrutiny ahead of the 2026 season, as highlighted by a former NFL Scout.

According to the former New York Jets Scout, Daniel Kelly, the Chicago Bears, along with head coach Ben Johnson, are making a case to get rid of their starter, Caleb Williams, ahead of the 2026 NFL season. 

“Don’t be surprised when Bears head coach Ben Johnson gets rid of Caleb Williams,” Kelly wrote on X. “He’s been dropping hints over the past two off-seasons that he wants more out of the quarterback position than Williams has been able to produce…”

Per Kelly, coach Johnson is constantly raising concerns that Williams' production is less than what the Bears are expecting. 

"I told him I would love for him this season to complete 70% of his balls," Johnson said. "So, you would like to think that over the course of practice that we're completing 70% or more, or that's hard to just magically arise in a game…”

Coach Johnson is not shying away from expecting a 70% pass completion rate from Williams, with the aspiration of going elite in the league. 

The 2024 NFL draftee, Williams, has played two seasons with the Bears. In which he could only achieve 60.3 CMP%, which is far less than what Johnson is expecting. 

Kelly also believes that it is not just the CMP%, but also his ability to process defenses.

Per data on PFF, Williams’ time to throw has slowed down from 3.03 seconds to 3.24 seconds, this has also not gone unnoticed by the coach. 

Moreover, he threw for 7,483 yards and scored 47 TDs. But the alarming figure is his sacks. He was sacked 92 times just in the two seasons. 

Amid the predictions made about his future with the Bears, Williams dominated yet another listing of the NFL.

Caleb Williams earns strong backing amid criticism 

In the latest release of “Execs, coaches, scouts rank top NFL quarterbacks for 2026” by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. He ranked Caleb Williams 10th as one of the top 10 performing QBs in the league. 

The list was topped by Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills, followed by Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs, and Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams.

The other names in the list were Cincinnati's Joe Burrow, Baltimore's Lamar Jackson, Dallas' Dak Prescott, Los Angeles' Justin Herbert, New England's Drake Maye, and Detroit's Jared Goff.

"He's the most dynamic of the group," one GM said. "He's got the arm talent and overall athleticism suited for today's game."

Williams threw an NFL-best 11 touchdowns on passes of 20-plus yards, cut his sacks from 68 to 24 year over year, and led the league with six fourth-quarter comebacks. 

He also tossed just 13 interceptions across 1,130 career pass attempts, underscoring his efficiency and playmaking ability.

It might be a bit early to arrive at any conclusions around his future with the franchise, as he is still delivering for the Bears, and Johnson has vouched for it multiple times.

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Written by

Kunwar Yashaswee Chhaunker