Caleb Williams hasn't taken a snap in his third NFL season yet, but Jon Gruden has already seen enough to make a massive prediction about the Chicago Bears quarterback.
While breaking down Chicago ahead of its season opener, Gruden didn't simply praise Williams' development. He put him on a path toward joining some pretty exclusive company.
Jon Gruden believes Caleb Williams is becoming one of the NFL's best
Gruden spent part of the latest episode of The Gruden Family Football Show explaining why he likes Chicago's chances this season. His breakdown eventually turned to Williams, and Gruden didn't hold back.
“Caleb Williams is starting to emerge as one of the best quarterbacks in the league,” Gruden said. “His arm talent is phenomenal.”
That's quite a statement considering the quarterbacks Williams is trying to join in that conversation.
It's also exactly where the Bears hoped this was headed when they drafted Williams No. 1 overall in 2024.
Chicago has spent decades looking for a quarterback capable of becoming one of the NFL's best. Williams entered the league with that type of ceiling, and his second season provided plenty of evidence that he was beginning to reach it.
Now Gruden sees another jump coming.
His praise wasn't limited to Williams, either. Gruden likes what Chicago has put around its quarterback and specifically mentioned Luther Burden III and Kalif Raymond as weapons who could help the offense.
“Luther Burden's going to emerge as a quality receiver,” Gruden said. “I like the addition of Kalif Raymond because he's a jack of all trades. He'll do the reverses, the arounds, the jet sweeps. They'll get him the ball in space.”
Gruden ultimately summed up his feelings about Chicago rather simply.
“They're a better team all around.”
Bears offense has already caught Gruden's attention
Perhaps the most interesting part of Gruden's Bears breakdown came before his Williams prediction.
Gruden called Chicago's running game the “coolest thing” he saw while studying teams during the offseason. He specifically highlighted right tackle Darnell Wright and noted how frequently the Bears run behind him.
That matters for Williams.
The Bears don't need their quarterback to manufacture everything himself. A dangerous running game can create favorable situations for Williams, particularly when Chicago uses motion and play action to get him outside the pocket.
That's where Gruden believes Williams' unusual arm talent becomes especially difficult to defend. He can make throws without needing everything around him to be perfect.
Williams still has plenty to prove before anyone can definitively place him alongside the NFL's elite quarterbacks. Gruden isn't saying he's already there.
But “starting to emerge as one of the best quarterbacks in the league” isn't exactly subtle praise.
For a Bears franchise that has spent generations wondering when its quarterback problem would finally disappear, Gruden believes the answer might already be wearing No. 18.
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