'Scared S--tless,' Caleb Williams' Heroics During Bears' Playoff Run Had NFL Team Dreading Matchup

While he's generally not considered to be elite at his position just yet, Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams isn't somebody teams are eager to see in a playoff setting.

The Athletic's Jeff Howe said one contender was "scared s--tless" at the idea of matching up against Chicago with its season on the line. That was down entirely to Williams' penchant for stepping up when the lights are their brightest.

The Bears signal-caller helped engineer six fourth-quarter comebacks during the regular season, the most in the league.

The team's NFC Wild Card Round win over the Green Bay Packers epitomized what sets Williams apart. He threw two interceptions and only completed 50 percent of his passes, but he also was the spark behind Chicago scoring 25 points in the fourth quarter.

You can count on one hand the number of NFL quarterbacks capable of pulling off Williams' fourth-down completion to Rome Odunze. Flushed out of the pocket, he threw against his body on the move and threaded the ball perfectly to his wideout.

Howe wrote that "there's also a consistent opinion around the NFL that Williams must be more consistent on schedule to really elevate his game." It's a fair assessment when Williams completed fewer than 60 percent of his attempts and ranked 16th in QBR (58.2).

But the 2025 season provided a proof of concept for why the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner was so hyped coming out of college and why the Bears identified him as their franchise quarterback.