Caleb Williams is still the biggest variable in the Bears’ passing game, but not every ugly number from last season should be pinned on him.
That’s the takeaway from a closer look at Chicago’s receiver issues, which helps explain why Williams’ completion percentage lagged so far behind some of the more encouraging efficiency metrics. He finished at 58.1 percent, but the picture changes once you account for what happened after the ball left his hand.
Pro Football Focus credited Bears pass catchers with 34 drops last season, the third-most in the league. PFF’s adjusted completion percentage for Williams jumped to 69.4 percent, while Next Gen Stats had his expected completion rate at 65 percent. Both figures sit well above his actual mark.
There’s also another layer to the story. According to Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis, the Bears had the sixth-highest percentage of pass attempts that were incomplete because of receiver error last season. That category apparently goes beyond drops and includes things like improper routes and other mistakes that can wreck a play.
Williams’ league-high 44 throwaways, per PFF, may fit into that broader bucket as well. If a receiver wasn’t where he was supposed to be - or looked like he wasn’t - on a hot route against pressure, the quarterback may have simply moved on from the play. The result still shows up as an incompletion, but it doesn’t land cleanly as either a drop or a bad throw.
Sharp’s data points to something even more telling. The Jacksonville Jaguars and the Denver Broncos, the two teams with the most drops in the league last season, also ranked first and second in incompletions tied to receiver error. That kind of overlap suggests the issue isn’t always as simple as quarterback accuracy.
Still, none of that changes the main job in front of Williams as he heads into his third season: he has to become a more accurate passer. Better ball placement would clean up plenty on its own, including some of those drops and some of the other mistakes that showed up in Chicago’s passing game.
The Bears’ receivers can help him, too. Last season made that clear.
In Other News...
Bears Left Tackle Hope Just Took A Frustrating Turn
Training camp still looks like the place where the Bears will sort out their left tackle spot, with Braxton Jones entering as the frontrunner and a handful of other names in the mix. Ozzie Trapilo is expected to miss a significant chunk of the season, while Theo Benedet and Jedrick Wills remain part of the competition, keeping the job open enough to matter but not so unsettled that Chicago seems eager to chase outside help.
One possible veteran target has already made the picture less inviting. Taylor Decker had been floated as a free-agent option, especially with his experience and familiarity around the division, but his stance has cooled that idea in a hurry. For now, the Bears appear set to let the battle play out internally unless injuries force the front office to revisit the position later on. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Fans May Need To Reconsider Terell Smith Fast
Terell Smith is back in the mix as the Bears turn their attention toward the 2026 season, and the cornerback has given fans a fresh look at his progress with training camp work that suggests he is moving well again. After missing all of 2025, Smith is trying to reinsert himself into a position group that has changed around him, and the timing matters with Chicago still sorting out how the secondary will look when camp decisions start to get real.
Smith also enters the final year of his rookie contract, which gives this comeback a little extra edge beyond simple health. He is battling for snaps in a crowded cornerback room that includes Tyrique Stevenson and Malik Muhammad, with Kyler Gordon's status still part of the broader picture, and the next few months will go a long way toward showing whether Smith is merely back or back in line for a meaningful role. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Depth Lineman Suddenly Carries Bigger Stakes Than Fans Realize
Jordan McFadden barely moved the needle in the regular season, but the Bears still got a useful look at him when injuries and game flow pushed him into a bigger role in a playoff game. The offensive lineman drew praise for how he handled himself in that spot, which matters for a team that is always trying to sort out the back end of its roster and keep enough dependable depth on hand.
The next checkpoint is training camp, where McFaddens standing could change quickly depending on how he performs. Chicago is expected to treat him as a backup heading into 2026, but if he flashes enough to make other teams take notice, he could become more than just a depth piece. In that case, the Bears would have a decision to make about whether to keep him around or turn him into draft capital. [Read more 🡒]