One of the frustrating debates that Chicago Bears fans are less than pleased with comes from offseason quarterback rankings putting Drake Maye ahead of Caleb Williams. This ranking appears to simply elevate Maye based on making last year's Super Bowl, ignoring the playoff path and how the New England quarterback performed when the season mattered most. No question, Chicago fans have an extremely opinionated take on where Williams belongs in the discussion.
With this in mind, there is no way around the fact that Williams standing in this conversation took a huge boost. Maye made his Week 1 debut on Wednesday with the world watching and threw three interceptions each coming in big spots. The final pick was a game-losing interception that took away a chance to tie the game well in field goal range and was as ugly of a decision as you will see any quarterback make.
Adding to this is the fact that Sam Darnold was lost only five snaps into the game adds important context as Maye was outplayed by Seattle Seahawks backup Drew Lock. The Seahawks won 13-10 in a game that unquestionably benefits Williams when looking at the discussion of who the best quarterback is from the 2024 class.
Drake Maye opening the door for Caleb Williams to remind league who the best quarterback is from 2024 class
It is important to note that one game far from defines a season, but with the world watching fans were yet again reminded of Maye's poor playoff performance. While Williams thrives under pressure and is at his absolute best with the game on the line on a big stage, it appears to be far too much for Maye to deal with struggling to deliver in big moments. This has to be factored in when talking about quarterback rankings even with this being just the first game of a long season.
Williams has a far softer start to the 2026 season than Maye facing a Carolina defense that is far less daunting handing the quarterback a chance to start the season on the right note and perhaps put up big numbers. Head coach Ben Johnson made headlines going into the season by talking about wanting a record-setting offense.
One that would unquestionably end the Maye vs. Williams debate in favor of who Chicago already believes to be the superior player. No question, Wednesday's debut was a step closer to reminding the league why Williams was the first overall selection.
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