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Mike Singletary was selected by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 1981 NFL Draft as the 38th overall pick.

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams has received plenty of praise this offseason. Coming off a year in which he broke the franchise single-season passing record and helped the Bears notch their first playoff win since 2010, the acclaim is warranted. Williams has Chicago firmly entrenched in Super Bowl expectations and is on the verge of becoming the face of the entire league.

Chicago Bears’ legendary linebacker and former NFL Coach Mike Singletary believes that there is perhaps only one signal caller he’d rather have than Williams.

GettyChicago Bears legendary linebacker Mike Singletary was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1998.

When asked to do a hypothetical re-draft of the NFL today, where every player is available on The Up and Adams show, Singletary stated, “Depending on what I’ve seen in the past few years. Depending on how the rules of the game have changed. Hands down, I’m going to take Patrick Mahomes every day of the week. But Caleb Williams is in that mix.”

Singelatary went on to compare Williams to Mahomes.

“Patrick is a leader,” Singeltary proclaimed. “I see a lot in the young kid in Chicago. I see a lot of Patrick Mahomes in him…When Patrick gets in the huddle, they listen. When things are down, they listen. When he’s speaking to a player on the sideline, when he’s talking to a guy in the huddle, they’re listening. And to me, that’s respect.” 

Singletary was one of the most vocal leaders the NFL has ever seen, so it’s unsurprising that he values communication in such high regard.

Singeletary finished his sentiment with “In this day and time, you need your quarterback to be that guy on the field that everybody is following, and that’s why Patrick Mahomes. And that’s why the kid in Chicago is not far behind.”

Caleb Williams Continuing To Grow As A Leader

Williams poise was a significant factor at the end of games last season. The Bears pulled off a record-breaking seven fourth-quarter comeback victories in 2025. While the ‘Cardiac Bears’ were a thrilling team, Chicago is certainly looking for more definitive wins in 2026. Regardless, those down-to-the-wire wins demonstrated Williams’ presence under pressure and built faith in him as a player and as a leader. 

While Williams’ calm demeanor helped guide the ship in crucial moments, he acknowledged that sometimes his emotions can get the better of him. 

In an interview with NBC Sports analyst Chris Simms, Williams revealed that he was benched when he was 10 because of his “energy, passion, and attitude” after the team failed to score.

Williams stated that sometimes his will to win overcomes his composure and that he consistently works to keep his emotions in check. 

It’s easy to see glimpses of Williams true passion peaking through his calm facade at times, especially at the end of games.

GettyCaleb Williams leaves the field after the Chicago Bears dominated the Cleveland Browns 31-3 in Week 15 of the 2025 NFL Season.

Caleb Williams Learning To Remain Stoic

Williams acknowledged that he’s still adjusting to being a standard for the team.

Williams shared a lesson he learned with reporters at Mandatory Minicamp, saying, “I wasn’t having the best practice, so I got really frustrated and [wide receiver] Kalif [Raymond] came up to me and said, ‘Everybody is looking at you,'” Williams stated.

“That really resonated for me because that’s been something from my first year to now, I want to be as stoic as possible, good, bad, or different. Not be too high or too low for the guys,” he added.

Williams continual awareness is just one of the traits that make him special. Only entering year three, he looks to cement himself as not just a great player, but a truly great leader.