Bears Mailbag: Will Caleb Williams Surpass 4,000 Yards Passing?
Armed with talented playmakers and Ben Johnson's scheme, Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams enters 2026 poised to shatter the franchise's most stubborn passing milestone.
Video Transcript
What's going on everybody?
Nicholas Moriano here from Bears Roundtable Sports.
For today's video, we look into a fan-submitted question, and let's get right into it.
With Burden, Odunze, Loveland, Raymond, Walker, and other speedy wide receivers added this off-season, is it inevitable that Caleb surpasses his 4,000 passing yard goal?
It's a great question, and I know it's something that an opposing fan base uses as the low-hanging fruit.
The Bears are the only franchise to not have a 4,000-yard passing quarterback in a single season.
It's kind of crazy to think considering what this league now is, a passing league where there is an emphasis on throwing the ball deep, getting chunk plays, explosive scoring points, but yet the Bears have not been able to have a 4,000-yard passer.
Caleb Williams was the closest last season in the first year of Ben Johnson's offense, throwing for 3,942 yards, but still fell short of the goal.
Now, if everything goes according to plan, Williams takes another step in Johnson's offense, and using all those playmakers that I just mentioned, including also Cole Kmet as well, yeah, then there's no reason why Caleb Williams shouldn't become a 4,000-yard passing quarterback when it's all said and done by the end of the 2026 season.
You also gotta mix in that you do have Ben Johnson as your play caller.
You do have a good offensive line, and you have a variety of different pass catchers.
So yes, I think it is inevitable that Caleb Williams does become a 4,000-yard passer.
However, here's some things to just be mindful of.
Not excuses, but just be mindful of.
Johnson is a huge believer in running the ball.
He's always going to have that as the foundation of his offense.
So that is going to take opportunities away from Caleb Williams throwing down field.
And also, here's another thing.
When looking at 4,000-yard passing quarterbacks, it's actually gone down since the last decade, where in 2025 and 2024, there were only six quarterbacks to throw for 4,000 yards.
Go back to 2016, there was 13.
So less than half of those quarterbacks are throwing for 4,000 yards in the past two seasons than when you compare it all the way back to 2016.
Not to say that Caleb Williams won't be one of those quarterbacks this upcoming season, because I believe he's capable of it, but just something that you should know as you're thinking about, well, is this the year that the Bears finally have a 4,000-yard passing quarterback?
Williams has the talent, the Bears have the playmakers, the offensive line, and the coach to finally make that stat irrelevant and be a part of the rest of the NFL in having a 4,000-yard quarterback.
