Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears have their hands full with a lot of key primetime matchups this NFL season. There will be many games where Caleb Williams can earn even more recognition and further put the Chicago Bears on the map as a legitimate NFC contender.
Here are my most highly anticipated matchups for Caleb Williams next season:
Week 5 away vs the Packers
Caleb will face off against the Packers twice this season, and the other meeting will be on Christmas. However, I think the first matchup might be the best one of the two. There is something about stealing a win over the Packers at Lambeau. That is not something Caleb is a stranger to. It will mean more to him and the Bears to knock off their heated rival on the road, and I think the Bears will do just that. Ironically, things will be falling right into place for Caleb Williams to become the Packers’ Aaron Rodgers, who just owns them during his career.
Week 7 at home vs the Patriots
Caleb Williams is not one to back down from a test. The league has crowned Drake Maye the best quarterback in the 2024 class already. Maye already has a leg up on Caleb Williams, and he is undefeated in matchups vs him. I think in this game, Caleb Williams will do everything in his power to show up Drake Maye and change people’s opinion. Seeing these two elite quarterbacks go to battle for the top spot will make for a classic match.
Week 8 away vs the Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are the best of the best in the NFC, and they were the most complete football team in the NFL last season. They are defending their Super Bowl belt this season. Their defense gave everyone, but the Rams, issues last year. They even gave Caleb Williams a game he wants to forget from his rookie season. Caleb Williams and the Bears offense having success vs the Seahawks defense would go a long way. This will be a great early test for the Bears’ young offense. Games like this will help the Bears prove themselves and put the league on notice. I think this game could end up being very similar to their win over the Eagles last season.
Week 11 away vs the Lions
Caleb has so far failed to knock off the Lions in his tenure. This season, he and Ben Johnson have to prove they can knock off the Lions, who have been the Bears’ big brother the last few years. Almost to the level of the Green Bay Packers. This game will have a huge impact on the season, in my opinion, and knocking off a rival to this magnitude on this stage could set the Bears up for much more than a division title. This could end up being the statement win of the season.
Week 15 away vs the Bills
This is an intriguing matchup for more reasons than one. Caleb will get a chance to light it up with his new young core of weapons while facing an elite quarterback with Caleb’s old weapon, D.J. Moore. I think both quarterbacks will light it up, but I am excited to see Caleb go against arguably the best quarterback in the NFL and how he will fare. The Bears’ previous quarterbacks have lost battles and look inferior to the league’s best. I think this time around with Caleb, things will be different in that regard.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Micah Huff’s most anticipated 2026 games for Caleb Williams and Bears
Reporting by Micah Huff, Trojans Wire / Trojans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
