Should I Start Caleb Williams?

Friday, September 11, 6:31 PM

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams will kick off his third NFL campaign this Sunday, on the road against the Carolina Panthers. At a glance, the USC product's 2025 statistics may seem a modest improvement upon his rookie season. While some might point to a dip in completion percentage (58.1%), Williams undoubtedly showed growth and maturity during Chicago's playoff run - becoming more efficient within the structure of the offense. Perhaps most impressively, he was sacked only 25 times in 2025, a stark contrast to his league-high total of 68 the year prior. Carolina's pass defense was no pushover a season ago, ranking as a top-half unit on a yards-per-game basis (209). Still, head coach Ben Johnson's elite pace of play and the bevy of weapons at the 24-year-old's disposal should be more than enough to keep him in the QB1 conversation Week 1. Even with wide receiver Rome Odunze (calf) a potential inactive, Williams still slots in as RotoBaller's QB9 ahead of Sunday's slate.