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QB Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears.

The Chicago Bears don’t have one of the best five quarterbacks in the NFL just yet, but Caleb Williams is well on his way to breaking into that conversation.

Williams is among the favorites to win the MVP award in 2026 after leading the Bears to an NFC North Division title and a playoff victory over the Green Bay Packers in January.

If he can take another big step forward in his second season under head coach/offensive guru Ben Johnson, Williams has a chance to capitalize as much as any QB in the league on Patrick Mahomes‘ resetting of the positional market via his new deal with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk on Sunday, June 14 predicted that Williams will get a big deal influenced by Mahomes’ $63.1 million annual average salary number just as soon as he is eligible, which happens to be sooner than one might think.

“When the time comes for Williams to get a new deal, the Mahomes number will drive the discussion,” Florio wrote. “Especially if Williams continues to be on a trajectory that could put him among the top four or five quarterbacks in football.”

Spotrac currently projects Williams’ market value at nearly $207 million over a new four-year contract (just under $52 million annually).

But if he has anything close to the season he had in 2025, let alone a better one, Williams could try to push the Bears over $60 million annually, which would move him into second place on the QB salary ladder ahead of Dallas Cowboys star Dak Prescott.

Caleb Williams Could Become First Rookie QB to Ever Sign Contract Extension Before End of 3rd NFL Season

GettyChicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams.

Florio added that Williams could push to sign his extension before play in the 2026-27 campaign even concludes, as he will be able to negotiate the deal following Week 18/prior to the playoffs in January of next year based on league rules.

“We also expect that Williams will make it known that he wants his contract not after the 2026 postseason ends, but promptly upon the opening of the window for a new deal after the Bears face the Vikings in Week 18,” Florio continued. “Why carry the injury risk into the 2026 postseason? No quarterback on his rookie deal has tried to do that, even though the CBA wrinkle has been hiding in plain sight since 2011.”

There is no guarantee Chicago’s campaign will continue beyond the final game of the regular season. But if the Bears do make the playoffs, Williams’ decision whether to push the front office to the negotiating table in the midst of postseason preparation could provide an interesting, and potentially polarizing, storyline indeed.

Bears, Caleb Williams Likely to Reach Deal Quickly Upon QB’s Extension Eligibility

GettyQuarterback Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears.

Williams, who turns 25 in November, is likely to get just about anything he wants from the Bears when the time to negotiate his contract comes — be that January or a little later next winter/spring.

As a former No. 1 pick (2024) who showed flashes of elite brilliance over the course of last season, Chicago can’t afford not to pay Williams like one of the best QBs in the league. That will almost certainly prove true whether Williams actually plays to that level or not in 2026, though his recent past indicates he can, and quite possibly will.

Williams tallied 3,942 passing yards, 27 TDs and seven INTs in 2025. He also rushed for 388 yards and three scores. Williams has yet to miss a game since joining the Bears, starting all 34 regular-season contests and both playoff outings to date.