Windy City Gridiron
Two young quarterbacks go head to head for the second time this upcoming Sunday. Who would you rather have moving forward? Caleb or Love?
I don’t know about you, but I am looking forward to a season finale against the Green Bay Packers that actually matters. Every year, it gets circled, and every year, the Chicago Bears are out of the picture before the game arrives.
Now, that doesn’t mean the game doesn’t mean something. For a franchise that is in the midst of its second-worst losing streak in franchise history (11 games), beating your divisional rival for the first time since 2018 would be awfully sweet. However, the Bears look like a team in disarray, filled with gut-wrenching losses like the Week 11 loss that ended in a Cairo Santos blocked field goal.
Now, the Packers have an unquestionably better team and franchise at this juncture. Their decentralized ownership group seems to be much more effective than the Bears stale monarchy. Their GM, Brian Gutekunst, has earned respect around the league for his young and talented roster, whereas Ryan Poles is still searching for his first Pro Bowl draft pick. Matt LaFleur is one of the best Head Coaches in the league, and the Bears are currently being coached by their Passing Game Coordinator.
There is no doubt that at every level of leadership, the Packers are currently superior. So what remains? Is there any position of power that the Bears have the edge in?
Enter - Caleb Williams.
The only place for hope in the Bears franchise at the moment, lays at the feet of Williams, the divisive former Heisman Trophy winner who has pundits singing his praises one week and asking if he is a bust the next.
Across from him is Jordan Love, a near equal to Caleb in divisiveness due to his hot-and-cold gameplay style, Jordan Love earns the benefit of the doubt due to his franchise and winning record.
It’s impossible to sort this question out without addressing the two biggest complicating factors: contract status and franchise.
Caleb has a clear edge in contract status as he is under team control until at least 2027, with a 5th year option for 2028. His average salary across those years comes in just under $10 million - a bargain if he is in fact a franchise quarterback. Jordan Love on the other hand just signed one of the largest contracts in league history, having him signed through 2028 (with cap hits through 2031). His average salary comes out to $55 million, with the largest caps of $42 million and $74 million happening in his final two years. This contract will only get tougher as Green Bay’s young players are up for contracts.
However, Jordan Love has the clear edge in the franchise he plays for. I will spare you the details as the Packers have had Rodgers, Favre,...
