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LAKE FOREST, ILLINOIS - JUNE 04: Caleb Williams #18 of the Chicago Bears talks with head coach Ben Johnson during Chicago Bears OTA Offseason Workout at Halas Hall on June 04, 2025 in Lake Forest, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

When it comes to winning in the NFL, a recipe for success typically comes in the form of having the right head coach and quarterback, which the Chicago Bears believe they have with Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams.

The Bears enjoyed a season filled with late-game heroics by Williams and masterful coaching by Johnson, but there’s reason to believe that won’t be the case again in 2026.

According to ESPN’s Courtney Cronin, Chicago’s 17-game slate will reflect the hardest strength of schedule based on their opponents’ 2025 record. “The Bears’ foes had a .550 winning percentage last season,” Cronin wrote.

But despite the Bears potentially not winning as many games as they did in 2025, former 3x Pro Bowl offensive lineman Kyle Long believes Chicago is in good hands with Williams and Johnson.

Bears Great Kyle Long Sends Blunt Thoughts on Caleb Williams, Ben Johnson

Speaking with Andrew Siciliano on Yahoo! Sports, Long gave his blunt thoughts on why, even if Chicago doesn’t enjoy an 11-win season, he could still see the Bears being a better team, with Williams and Johnson being major reasons for Chicago’s continued success.

“I could totally see them having less regular-season wins and being a better football team. And you and I both know that, in the National Football League, it’s about what version of the team you are when the dance starts and when the dance ends. You got to just get into the dance and that’s what they’re going to have to do.”

Long isn’t hiding the fact that the Bears face a tough challenge in 2026 against multiple contenders and arguably the toughest division in football, but he also adds how the Bears have proved to be more than just a pretender.

“I do trust Ben Johnson and I do trust Caleb Williams and their relationship,” Long added. “And as you and I know, it’s an arms race in the National Football League and if you don’t have a guy that can put points up every week, regardless of scheme you’re playing against, regardless of personnel you’re playing against, you’re going to have a fighting chance. Now couple that with DA [Dennis Allen] on the defensive side of the ball, they’ve started to marry the offense and defense pretty well, and you can see as you and I both know, the most meaningful moments of the game are the final 120 seconds of regulation. And that’s where the Bears have had success, and that was where they had to prove it to us fans and former players, and they did that.”

Kyle Long Talks Williams Vs. Patrick Mahomes Comparisons

Moving on to a more niche topic, there have been comparisons thrown around even before Williams was in the NFL to Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, and Andrew Siciliano brought up the conversation, asking Kyle Long, “You saw Patrick Mahomes up close. There has always been this Caleb Mahomes fascination. Everyone wants to say he’s the next Patrick. No one’s the next Patrick. Patrick Mahomes is one of one. But having seen both up close, do you see similarities? Can we actually find connective tissue between these two?”

Long responded with, “They just don’t make them like Patrick Mahomes anymore. Now, I’m going to talk about Caleb for a second. Caleb’s a guy that reminds me that time is just an illusion. …Nobody plays fearless like Caleb Williams. He throws the ball and he makes you go, ‘Oh my god, what do you yes!’ And that’s what makes him so much fun to watch. And there’s a lot of that in Patrick’s game, too. And the off-angle throws, going left, throwing right, being able to pirouette. …Caleb Williams’ arm talent and Patrick Mahomes’ arm talent, those are the things that I would say are like in lockstep.”

In terms of pure talent, Williams is similar to Mahomes but not on the same level. What truly separates the two is Mahomes’ accomplishments, which include six Pro Bowls, two First-Team All-Pros, three Super Bowl wins, two MVPs, and many more accomplishments.

Williams’ response to people comparing him to Mahomes? “It’s respect. It’s cool and all, but I’m Caleb Williams. Patrick Mahomes is Patrick Mahomes.”