Caleb Williams

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Caleb Williams
Williams with the Chicago Bears in 2025
Caleb Williams
Born11/18/2001
BirthplaceWashington, D.C., U.S.
NationalityAmerican
OccupationProfessional football quarterback
EmployerChicago Bears
Known for2022 Heisman Trophy winner; first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft
EducationGonzaga College High School
AwardsHeisman Trophy (2022)

Caleb Williams (born November 18, 2001) is an American professional football quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). After one season at the University of Oklahoma and two seasons at the University of Southern California, where he won the Heisman Trophy in 2022, Williams entered the NFL as the first overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft.[1][2]

A highly recruited prospect out of Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C., Williams emerged as one of the most discussed college football players of his era, setting single-season passing records at USC and entering the professional ranks under significant national attention. In his first two NFL seasons, he established several Chicago Bears rookie passing records and, in 2025, helped lead the franchise to its first NFC North division title since 2018 and its first playoff victory since the 2010 season.[2] By 2026, Williams had been selected as the cover athlete for Madden NFL 27.[3]

Early life

Williams was born on November 18, 2001, in Washington, D.C.[2] He attended Gonzaga College High School, a Jesuit secondary school in Washington, where he played quarterback and developed into one of the top-rated high school football prospects in the United States.[4] His performance at Gonzaga drew national recruiting attention and positioned him as a marquee quarterback recruit in his class.[5]

Following an extensive recruitment, Williams committed to the University of Oklahoma, joining the Sooners' football program ahead of the 2021 college football season.[4] He stands 6 feet 1 inch tall and is listed at 226 pounds.[2]

College career

Oklahoma

Williams enrolled at the University of Oklahoma in 2021, playing his freshman season for the Sooners. He arrived on campus as a heralded recruit and saw his role expand significantly during the season, ultimately becoming a focal point of the Oklahoma offense.[4] Following the 2021 season, head coach Lincoln Riley departed Oklahoma to take the head coaching position at the University of Southern California. Williams subsequently entered the transfer portal and followed Riley to USC for the 2022 season.[4]

USC

At USC, Williams immediately became the centerpiece of the Trojans' offense under Riley. During the 2022 season, he set USC single-season school records in both passing yards and passing touchdowns.[4] His performance led to him being named the recipient of the Heisman Trophy as the most outstanding player in college football for the 2022 season.[1]

Williams returned to USC for the 2023 season as the reigning Heisman winner, again starting at quarterback for the Trojans.[6] USC finished the 2023 season with an 8–5 record.[7]

Following the 2023 season, Williams announced that he would forgo his remaining college eligibility and declare for the 2024 NFL Draft, where he was widely projected as a potential top overall selection.[8] In recognition of his accomplishments at USC, the university later retired his No. 13 jersey.[9]

Professional career

2024 NFL Draft

Williams was selected with the first overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears.[5][10] The 2024 draft's first round saw six quarterbacks selected, tying an NFL record for the most quarterbacks chosen in a single first round.[11]

Williams signed his rookie contract with the Bears shortly after the draft.[12][13] The Bears named Williams their starting quarterback shortly thereafter, with the team moving quickly to anoint the top overall selection as its starter heading into the 2024 season.[14]

Chicago Bears

2024 season

Williams made his NFL debut in the 2024 season as the Bears' starting quarterback, the first player selected in the draft. Over the course of his rookie campaign, he set several franchise rookie passing records for the Bears.[2] In one notable game, Williams produced a passing performance that drew widespread attention despite the Bears' loss; he later said he intended to "keep slinging it" as the team worked through its season.[15] During the season, Williams also accomplished a statistical feat that had not been achieved by a rookie quarterback since 2002.[16]

2025 season

In his second professional season, Williams led the Bears to the NFC North division title — the franchise's first division championship since 2018 — and to the team's first playoff win since the 2010 season.[2] Through the 2025 season, Williams had recorded 681 completions on 1,130 attempts for a 60.3 percent completion rate, with 7,483 passing yards, 47 touchdowns against 13 interceptions, and a passer rating of 89.0. He also added 877 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns over his first two seasons.[17]

2026 season and Madden cover

Heading into the 2026 season, Williams was selected as the cover athlete for Madden NFL 27. He stated that the cover image was designed as a tribute to basketball player Michael Jordan, paying homage to Jordan's iconic "Jumpman" silhouette and his connection to Chicago.[3][18] In conjunction with the cover release, Williams told reporters he was focused on building on the team's 2025 success and aimed to "win as many games as possible" with the Bears.[19]

The Bears entered the 2026 season facing what was characterized as one of the most difficult schedules in the NFL, with Williams and a revamped roster set to play a slate that included matchups against reigning division winners and playoff contenders.[20]

Personal life

Williams maintains an official website and personal brand under his own name.[21] Since being drafted by the Bears, he has become a public figure in the Chicago sports scene; in June 2026, he publicly identified a local establishment as the source of what he called the "best pizza I've ever had," generating media coverage in the city.[22]

In interviews, Williams has discussed his views on the history of the quarterback position. He has named Aaron Rodgers among his top all-time quarterbacks, offering historical praise for the former Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers passer.[23][24] When asked separately about his all-time quarterback rankings, Williams offered two names in response, drawing media attention for the unconventional pairing.[25]

Recognition

Williams's most prominent individual honor is the Heisman Trophy, which he received following the 2022 college football season while playing for USC. The award recognized him as the most outstanding player in college football for that season.[1]

At the collegiate level, Williams set USC single-season school records for passing yards and passing touchdowns during his Heisman-winning 2022 campaign.[4] USC subsequently retired his No. 13 jersey, a distinction reserved for the program's most accomplished players.[9]

In the NFL, Williams was the first overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft.[10] As a rookie, he set several Chicago Bears franchise rookie passing records.[2] His selection as the cover athlete for Madden NFL 27 in 2026 placed him among the players chosen for one of the most recognizable annual honors in American professional sports media, with his cover specifically designed as an homage to Michael Jordan and the city of Chicago.[3][19]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Caleb Williams". 'Heisman Trophy Trust}'. Retrieved 2026-06-08.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 "Caleb Williams". 'Chicago Bears}'. Retrieved 2026-06-08.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Jahns,"Caleb Williams' 'Madden NFL 27' cover inspired by Michael Jordan".ESPN.2026-06-06.https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/48970798/caleb-williams-madden-cover-tribute-chicago-jumpman-michael-jordan.Retrieved 2026-06-08.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 "Caleb Williams". 'USC Trojans Athletics}'. Retrieved 2026-06-08.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Caleb Williams – Prospect Profile". 'NFL.com}'. Retrieved 2026-06-08.
  6. ↑ "Caleb Williams 2023 Game Log". 'Sports Reference}'. Retrieved 2026-06-08.
  7. ↑ "2023 USC Trojans Schedule and Results". 'Sports Reference}'. Retrieved 2026-06-08.
  8. ↑ "Source: USC's Caleb Williams, potential top pick, enters NFL draft".ESPN.2024-01-08.https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/39314933/source-usc-caleb-williams-potential-top-pick-enters-nfl-draft.Retrieved 2026-06-08.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "USC retires Caleb Williams' No. 13 jersey". 'On3}'. Retrieved 2026-06-08.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "USC, UCLA produce top pick Caleb Williams, top defender Laiatu Latu in NFL draft".Los Angeles Times.2024-04-26.https://www.latimes.com/sports/story/2024-04-26/usc-ucla-produce-top-pick-caleb-williams-top-defender-laiatu-latu-nfl-draft.Retrieved 2026-06-08.
  11. ↑ "Six quarterbacks in first round ties NFL record". 'NBC Sports}'. Retrieved 2026-06-08.
  12. ↑ "Roster Move: Bears Sign Caleb Williams to Rookie Contract". 'Chicago Bears}'. Retrieved 2026-06-08.
  13. ↑ "No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams signing rookie contract with Bears". 'NFL.com}'. Retrieved 2026-06-08.
  14. ↑ "Bears' Caleb Williams named starting QB".CBS Sports.https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/bears-caleb-williams-named-starting-qb-chicago-wastes-no-time-anointing-no-1-pick-as-top-signal-caller/.Retrieved 2026-06-08.
  15. ↑ "Bears' Williams wowed by passing output in loss, vows to keep slinging it".ESPN.https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/41388940/bears-williams-wowed-passing-output-loss-vows-keep-slinging-it.Retrieved 2026-06-08.
  16. ↑ "Bears news: Caleb Williams pulls off feat not done since 2002 despite rocky play". 'ClutchPoints}'. Retrieved 2026-06-08.
  17. ↑ "Caleb Williams Stats". 'Pro-Football-Reference}'. Retrieved 2026-06-08.
  18. ↑ "Bears' Caleb Williams explains legendary origins of Madden 27 cover".Yahoo Sports.2026-06-06.https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/bears-caleb-williams-explains-legendary-120245184.html.Retrieved 2026-06-08.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 "'Madden NFL 27' cover star Caleb Williams eager to 'win as many games as possible' with Bears".NFL.com.2026-06-06.https://www.nfl.com/news/madden-nfl-27-cover-star-caleb-williams-eager-to-build-on-2025-success-with-bears.Retrieved 2026-06-08.
  20. ↑ "Chicago Bears Not Backing Down From NFL's Hardest Schedule".Yahoo Sports.2026-06-08.https://sports.yahoo.com/videos/chicago-bears-not-backing-down-110018132.html.Retrieved 2026-06-08.
  21. ↑ "Caleb Williams – Official Site". 'calebwilliams13.com}'. Retrieved 2026-06-08.
  22. ↑ "'Best pizza I've ever had': Caleb Williams just revealed his top pizza spot in Chicago".NBC 5 Chicago.2026-06-06.https://www.nbcchicago.com/chicago-sports-bears-sox-cubs-bulls-blackhawks/best-pizza-ive-ever-had-in-my-life-caleb-williams-just-revealed-his-top-pizza-spot-in-chicago/3944764/.Retrieved 2026-06-08.
  23. ↑ "Caleb Williams Makes Big, Historical Claim About Aaron Rodgers". 'Steelers Depot}'. 2026-06-07. Retrieved 2026-06-08.
  24. ↑ "Bears' Caleb Williams Gives Unexpected Take on Ex-Packers QB Aaron Rodgers". 'Heavy.com}'. 2026-06-07. Retrieved 2026-06-08.
  25. ↑ "Chicago Bears Caleb Williams names surprising all-time QB ranking". 'The Big Lead}'. Retrieved 2026-06-08.

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