At last, the Chicago Bears officially know their schedule for the 2025 season. However, the Bears already knew they were in for a tough road before the schedule was even released.
Every team in the NFC North expect Chicago made the playoffs in 2024. Facing off against the Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings twice gives new head coach Ben Johnson quite the mountain to climb. But, it’s also an opportunity for the Bears to prove they’re ready to be considered true contenders.
Anytime the Bears and Packers face off specifically, it is a must-watch game. Two of the NFL’s oldest rivals, each matchup matters between both teams and there’s always bound to fireworks. Courtney Cronin of ESPN is expecting more of the same when the Packers travel to Soldier Field in Week 16. With a strong season already under his belt to that point, Cronin is predicting Caleb Williams will pass the 4,000 yard passing mark against Green Bay.
“Williams becomes Chicago’s first 4,000-yard passer by crossing the threshold against Green Bay in Week 16, two games fewer than it took Jared Goff in his first season with Johnson calling plays,” Cronin wrote. “The Bears closed the 2024 season by snapping a 10-game losing streak with a win at Lambeau Field and will sweep the Packers for the first time since 2007.”
Caleb Williams can break longstanding Chicago Bears record
While Williams didn’t live up to his No. 1 pick hype as a rookie, he still set a pair of Bears records. He has the most rookie passing yards (3,541) and touchdowns (20) in franchise history. Furthermore, he wasn’t too far off from breaking the Chicago record.
As it stands, Erik Kramer’s 3,838 passing yards in 1995 are the most in team history. Jay Cutler holds the next three spots on the list, with his 3,812 yards in 2014 ranking second. After him comes Williams, as his rookie season saw him throw for the sixth-most passing yards in team history. The fact Williams ranked so high and yet is getting so much flack is a testament to the expectation of quarterback play in Chicago. The Bears have been desperate to find a consistent franchise quarterback.
But looking at Williams’ rookie season, there were times where perhaps he could’ve broken the 4,000 yard threshold. In nine games, he failed to cross 200 yards. Six contests saw him fail to reach 150 yards. And in Williams’ NFL debut, he passes for just 93 yards; although the Bears still beat the Titans somehow 24-17.
With the introduction of Johnson, Williams now has solid ground to work on and a prolific playbook to build off of. Chicago switched the quarterback’s play callers on him midseason as a rookie. Now, Williams has an actual gameplan in place. And while it won’t be a one-for-one creation, Johnson did help Jared Goff finish second in passing with 4,629 yards his final season with the Detroit Lions.
The Bears have been an NFL franchise since 1920. For Williams to become the first 4,000 yard passer in team history would show that Chicago’s offseason work has all paid off.
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