The Chicago Bears have not had a legitimate MVP finalist since Walter Payton. However, Moe Moton of Bleacher Report writes that Caleb Williams has a legitimate shot to be a first-time MVP this year, which would give the Bears their first MVP winner since 1977.
Caleb Williams is a sleeper MVP candidate in 2026
All of the ingredients are there for an MVP season. Williams is talented and was the number one overall pick. Things were rocky during his first two NFL seasons, but the team fired both its head coach and offensive coordinator during his rookie year.
New head coach Ben Johnson coached him hard, and Williams went through plenty of growing pains. However, he came out of the other side stronger. Now, the Bears have a much better arsenal of weapons, and most of those players are young and growing into their primes. That puts Williams in a different position than he was a year ago.
Instead of learning a new offense and adjusting to new expectations, Williams is entering a season where he can focus on growing within the system. The players around him are more comfortable, and the coaching staff has a better understanding of how to maximize his strengths.
That is why it is not hard to see the path to an MVP-caliber season.
Williams finished fourth on Moton's list of players who could win their first MVP award. Veterans Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert were the top two names. That makes sense considering both have longer track records and have already put together elite seasons.
If Burrow has the best season of his career, voters may feel inclined to reward him. Herbert also enters the season with a lot of optimism surrounding his situation, making him another logical candidate.
The other player ahead of Williams was Drake Maye. He also makes sense when considering how close he came to winning the award last season.Maye finished second to Matthew Stafford in MVP voting a year ago and could easily find himself back in the race this season. With Dak Prescott rounding out the top five, Williams is in impressive company.
The only somewhat surprising omission is Jayden Daniels. Daniels is coming off an injury-plagued season, which may have cooled some of the excitement surrounding him entering the year.
Still, the focus for Bears fans will be on Williams. Expectations have changed around the Bears and their young quarterback heading into 2026.
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