Windy City Gridiron
The Bears Quarterback ranked lower than many might expect.
Pro Football Focus is out with their Quarterback rankings ahead of the 2025 season.
Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams’ rank on the list might be lower than many Bears fans would have anticipated. While there’s no question that Williams had a very up and down rookie campaign, the rankings for some of the other signal callers on the list is what may prompt Bears fans to scratch their heads.
Here’s the list, along with PFF’s Tiers:
TIER 1: THE ELITE
1. Patrick Mahomes
2. Joe Burrow
3. Lamar Jackson
4. Josh Allen
TIER 2: HIGH-END STARTERS
5. Jalen Hurts
6. Jayden Daniels
7. Matthew Stafford
8. Justin Herbert
TIER 3a: SOLID STARTERS WHO HAVE FLASHED HIGH-END PLAY
9. Jared Goff
10. Geno Smith
11. Brock Purdy
TIER 3b: SOLID STARTERS, BUT THEY NEED MORE HELP
12. Jordan Love
13. Baker Mayfield
14. CJ Stroud
15. Kyler Murray
16. Trevor Lawrence
17. Dak Prescott
18. Tua Tagovailoa
TIER 4: YOUNG PLAYERS WITH A WIDE RANGE OF POTENTIAL OUTCOMES
19. Bo Nix
20. Bryce Young
21. JJ McCarthy
22. Drake Maye
23. Michael Penix Jr.
24. Caleb Williams
25. Cameron Ward
TIER 5: VETERANS CAPABLE OF SOLID PLAY BUT COULD BE QUICKLY REPLACED
26. Sam Darnold
27. Russell Wilson
28. Justin Fields
TIER 6: LOW-END STARTERS AND NOT LONG-TERM OPTIONS
29. Joe Flacco
30. Anthony Richardson
31. Mason Rudolph
32. Tyler Shough
If you’re curious, here’s their evaluation on Caleb Williams. An evaluation that ranked him lower than JJ McCarthy, who has yet to play a pro game, as well as Michael Penix, Jr, who started just three games last year:
“Touted as a generational talent by many, Williams underwhelmed as a rookie, earning just a 67.6 overall grade and posting only five single-game grades above 70.0. The talent is undeniable, but his NFL success will hinge on learning to find open targets and avoiding the habit of running himself into pressure.”
For those curious, their evaluation of Jordan Love reads as follows:
“When ranking quarterbacks in this tier, it’s almost a dart throw trying to predict the level of play you’ll get. Jordan Love’s late-season run in 2023 was a stellar mix of big-time throws and sound decision-making, but he couldn’t carry that momentum into 2024. His big-time throw rate dropped from 5.6% to 3.5%. If he can recapture that 2023 groove, Love has both the talent and mindset to make a run at the NFC crown.”
That’s right. PFF acknowledges Love played great for about half of 2023, regressed in 2024, yet they see him as just outside of the top ten.
Here’s McCarthy, who is ranked three spots above Williams:
*“I’m leaning on my personal evaluation here, as I had McCarthy as the top quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft. We didn’t get to see him as a rookie, but his 2023 season at Michigan — where he earned a 92.2 PFF grade and a 93.4 passing grade — highlighted...
