As training camp opens and the Chicago Bears get ready for the 2026 NFL season, Caleb Williams is staring at a set of MVP odds that feel far too low for what he already put on tape.
DraftKings has Williams at +1300. FanDuel has him at +1500. After the season he just turned in, those numbers look like a slight to both the quarterback and the offense around him.
Williams backed up the hype in a big way last fall. In his sophomore season, he threw for 3,942 yards and 27 touchdowns while posting a 90.1 passer rating, all while learning a completely new offense under head coach Ben Johnson.
He also helped push the Bears to their first winning record and NFC North title since 2018, their first playoff berth since 2020, and their first playoff win since 2010. And just for good measure, he’ll be on the cover of Madden 27 when it drops this August.
That kind of résumé ought to put him much closer to the top of the MVP race. Sure, quarterbacks like Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes are always going to sit in that conversation. But Williams has done enough to belong in the top five.
The oddsmakers’ view should do more than irritate him. It should hit the whole Bears locker room, especially the offense.
Williams can’t control the betting market, but he can control what happens once the season starts. And with him entering Year 2 in Johnson’s system, it wouldn’t be a shock if the Bears’ offense starts humming every Sunday and Williams forces his way into the MVP discussion.
He also won’t be carrying the load by himself. The Bears are bringing back most of their starting skill players from last season, giving Williams a strong set of targets in Luther Burden, Rome Odunze, Jahdae Walker, Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet. Add in a run game powered by D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai, and Chicago has the kind of balance that can make life miserable for defenses.
At the end of the day, the MVP usually lands with the best player on the best team. If Williams can take the offense up another level and lead the Bears to a top seed in the NFC, those odds - and the people setting them - may look a lot worse in hindsight.
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