Caleb Williams’s Year 3 trajectory and Bears management changes

Because he recorded 3,942 passing yards and 27 touchdowns in 2025, Williams maintains a 105.6 passer rating through four games of the 2026 season, totaling 1,020 yards and five touchdowns against only one interception in the current year. Following his 2024 campaign of 20 touchdowns and six interceptions, he shows improvement over his previous form. In 2025, he completed 330 of 568 attempts and averaged 6.9 yards per attempt while beating the Packers twice and winning a playoff game. Mike Clay projects Williams to finish 2026 with 3,821 yards and 25 touchdowns on 528 attempts. If he reaches these numbers, he will finish with approximately 11,304 career passing yards, which places him fourth on the Chicago Bears all-time list behind Jay Cutler, Sid Luckman, and Jim Harbaugh. He currently sits ninth on the franchise list with 7,483 yards. His 2026 rushing production includes two touchdowns on 24 attempts. Williams entered 2026 as the face of the team and appeared on the cover of Madden 27. His 2025 season also saw him lead the team to 11 wins.

The Eberflus fallout and team management

Matt Eberflus left the Chicago Bears with a 14-32 coaching record following his dismissal after the 2024 Thanksgiving game against the Detroit Lions. The game ended in a 23-20 loss. The Bears failed to stop the clock after a sack of Williams with 32 seconds remaining, which allowed Detroit to win. Williams hiked the ball with seven seconds left and overthrew wide receiver Rome Odunze, causing the ball to hit the turf as time expired. Eberflus requested to pocket the final timeout to save it for a potential field goal attempt, but the clock ran out before the team could use it. CEO Kevin Warren admitted the front office mishandled the firing process. The organization promised to respect the head coach by allowing him to call his family before learning of his termination. The decision to allow Eberflus to speak to the media on Friday before firing him later that day drew criticism. Chicago became the third NFL team to fire a head coach this season. How will the current coaching staff maintain this momentum without the previous leadership?

Contract math and fifth-year options

The NFL rookie wage scale includes predetermined salaries that increased because of the impact of NIL earnings. The No. 10 pick earns $29,611,072, while the top pick’s contract value reaches $54,565,500. The top three picks earn more than $50 million. A gap of roughly $8 million remains between the No. 11 and No. 20 picks. Late first-round players often target the fifth-year option to secure long-term stability. In 2025, Cam Ward signed a $48 million rookie deal nearly a month after being selected No. 1 overall by the Tennessee Titans. This option provides a base salary calculated from the average of the 3rd to 25th highest salaries at the position over five seasons. If a player reaches a specific playtime milestone, the calculation shifts to the average of positions 3 through 20. Pro Bowl selections increase the value to the transition tender, and multiple Pro Bowls increase the value to the franchise tag. You know the financial advantage of these options for franchise players.