Caleb Williams ranked as top-tier NFL quarterback on rookie contract

The sky is the limit for Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson as a pair with the Chicago Bears. If Year 2 for Caleb as an NFL quarterback was the beginning, more success should come while still on his rookie contract with the Bears.

In a recent article, Mike Pendleton highlights a recent ranking by an NFL analyst of the top quarterbacks under rookie contract. Caleb Williams ends up at number 2, and Pendleton provides the analyst's reasoning behind that ranking:

"Nick Shook of NFL.com ranked the Top 15 quarterbacks on their rookie contracts, placing Williams at No. 2, just behind Drake Maye who took the New England Patriots to the Super Bowl last season.

Even those who held the highest expectations for Ben Johnson probably didn't foresee his partnership with Williams going as well as it did in Year 1," Shook wrote. "Johnson's arrival worked wonderfully for Caleb, who appeared to overcome his tendency to freeze while trying to make the perfect play. In his second NFL season, the former Heisman Trophy winner operated instinctively, showing off a fantastic clutch gene that powered a collection of heart-stopping, season-defining wins for Chicago. Under Johnson, Williams was able to display his natural talents and begin to justify his No. 1 overall selection. By season's end, he was one of my favorite quarterbacks to watch. I expect him to meet that description again in 2026, the last year before he is eligible for an extension that should make his paycheck exponentially bigger."