The historic numbers Caleb Williams is chasing for the Bears: what the QB needs to set new record
For a team with over a century behind it, the Chicago Bears’ passing record book is relatively thin. No quarterback has ever thrown for 4,000 yards or 30 touchdowns, two benchmarks that have become routine elsewhere in the league. More on that later.
Top pick Caleb Williams arrived insisting he wanted to push Chicago into that modern tier, and with six games remaining, the scale of that ambition is becoming clearer.
Williams’ record chase shaped by the schedule
Instead of starting with the numbers, the reality begins with the opponents. Chicago closes the year against a mix of elite pass defenses and vulnerable secondaries, a patchwork that will determine whether Williams’ pursuit can stay alive. The Browns and Packers both sit in the league’s top five against the pass. The 49ers and Lions, meanwhile, have allowed touchdowns at far higher rates. The distribution of those games – two brutal tests sandwiched around more forgiving matchups – might matter as much as Williams’ own averages.
What does Caleb Williams need from here?
Only after mapping the path do the numbers gain context. Williams sits at 2,568 yards and 16 touchdowns. Reaching 4,000 yards means adding 1,432 more, or 238.7 per game. The touchdown chase is even steeper: 14 more, or an average of 2.3 per outing. Neither figure matches his current pace, but his best stretches this season have shown he can spike production quickly, particularly against defenses that struggle with downfield speed.
What is Bears’ current QB record?
Erik Kramer’s 1995 season – 3,838 yards and 29 touchdowns – remains Chicago’s outlier. Williams isn’t merely trying to beat a franchise mark, he’s trying to erase the idea that those numbers were a one-time anomaly. His track record against upcoming opponents is mixed: he’s averaged over 265 yards and 2.3 touchdowns in games against Detroit but threw for just 134 yards in last season’s loss to the 49ers.
How do other QBs compare?
You may be surprised to learn that over 50 different quarterbacks in league history have thrown for 4,000 yards in a season. To put it in context: stars such as Peyton Manning and Drew Brees each recorded 4,000-plus passing yards in more than a dozen seasons. Those two also paired the yardage totals with 30+ touchdown passes, doing that in nine different seasons each. In 2024 alone, a handful of quarterbacks cleared 4,000 yards.
Manning deals with constant pressure and multiple drops from his teammates every week. He’s not perfect, but he is also the main driver of this offense that is wildly inconsistent. And you get to see him move and operate from muddy pockets and throw off-platform. pic.twitter.com/s81k1egVFB
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) November 26, 2025
The Bears haven’t had a quarterback finish a season on this kind of trajectory in decades. Whether Williams reaches the line is less about one massive performance than about stacking six efficient ones. Chicago’s long-awaited breakthrough at the position is possible… just not inevitable.
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