Overview
- The Bears beat the Patriots 30-24 at Soldier Field on October 22, and Williams completed 22 of 33 passes for 308 yards, two touchdowns and no turnovers.
- Sports Illustrated reporter Albert Breer polled 17 NFL executives and coaches and found 12 preferred building a franchise around Williams versus five for Drake Maye.
- ESPN’s Total QBR placed Williams at 79.6 after Week 7, and Prime Video reported the Thursday night game averaged about 19.86 million viewers, underscoring national interest.
- Executives who backed Williams cited his ceiling, creativity and late-game play while others favored Maye for pocket processing and consistency, making the comparison an open debate rather than a verdict.
- For the Bears the win cements momentum and puts attention on upcoming matchups and roster moves that will test whether Williams’ early surge predicts sustained franchise-level success.