Caleb Williams' rookie season in the NFL was nothing if not hectic. The Bears signal-caller showed flashes of brilliance at times. But inconsistency defined his performances. He struggled with inaccuracy and had a penchant for holding the ball too long, resulting in 68 sacks, tied for the fourth-highest mark in NFL history.
Ben Johnson's arrival in Chicago looked to be a boon for the former No. 1 pick. The Bears head coach, widely considered a QB whisperer and one of the brightest offensive minds in football, helped resurrect Jared Goff's career and assisted in pushing the Lions to the doorstep of a Super Bowl berth in 2023.
Williams figures to be the biggest beneficiary of Johnson's arrival in the Windy City. He finally got a chance to put some of the things he learned to the test on Monday when the Bears took on the Vikings. Suffice to say, he took advantage of his opportunity -- at least in the first half.
Here's a look at Williams' performance in Chicago's season-opening fixture against Minnesota.
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Caleb Williams stats today
Final score: Vikings 27, Vikings 24
- Comp/Att: 21/35
- Passing yards: 210
- Passing touchdowns: 1
- Interceptions: 0
- Rushing yards: 58
- Rushing touchdowns: 1
Williams looked good with his arm and his legs on Monday night, keeping things fairly simple as Chicago worked its way down the field methodically.
He was at his best during the Bears' first drive of the day, completing 6-of-6 passes for 51 yards to bring the Bears to the cusp of the end zone. He capped off his faultless possession with a run, dashing to the end zone from nine yards out. He even adorned his scamper with a Michael Jackson-like dance number alongside Chicago wideout Olamide Zaccheaus.
Williams started the game 10-of-10 on passes, good for the longest streak of completions to start a season-opener since 1978. He didn't do anything otherworldly, but after being called out for doing too much under Matt Eberflus last season, Williams' mature showcase was a breath of fresh air for Chicago fans.
Williams added another two scores — one via air, the other on the ground — in the second half. But he fell short of his opposite number, JJ McCarthy, whose three-touchdown fourth-quarter outburst propelled Minnesota to a victory.
Caleb Williams highlights vs. Vikings
Williams found success with both his arm and his legs on Monday night. He used his agility to avoid pressure on multiple occasions.
Caleb makes him miss
— NFL (@NFL) September 9, 2025
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Caleb to Rome. That’s a dart.
— NFL (@NFL) September 9, 2025
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He tallied his first rushing touchdown in the first quarter, posting a 20.29 mph top speed on the score, the 10th-fastest run by a QB since the start of last season, per Next Gen stats.
Caleb has his first career rushing TD! What an opening drive for the Bears.
— NFL (@NFL) September 9, 2025
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Caleb Williams reached a top speed of 20.29 mph on his 9-yard scramble TD run, the fastest speed of his career and 10th-fastest by a QB since the start of last season.
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) September 9, 2025
Williams had just a 17.8% probability of scoring a TD when he took off to run at the 16.
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He added additional impressive scrambles as the first half wore on.
Caleb Williams showing off as a runner early in the game
— NFL (@NFL) September 9, 2025
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Caleb’s pocket presence looking great 🙌
— NFL (@NFL) September 9, 2025
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