NFL quarterback power rankings: Where does Bears QB Caleb Williams land among 32 current starters?

A ranking of NFL quarterbacks would’ve humiliated the Bears as they wandered through Mitch Trubisky, Justin Fields and others before drafting Caleb Williams in 2024. Now, with Williams hitting his stride, it’s promising.

The Bears believed he could change the course of their franchise, and general manager Ryan Poles compared him to Patrick Mahomes. Williams still has a long way to go, but he’s having his best season even after throwing four interceptions against the Buccaneers last week.

As the NFL starts the second half of its season, here’s where all 32 starters stand:

1. Joe Burrow, Bengals

Burrow’s prominence faded after missing nine games last season, but leads the NFL in passer rating (114.8), completion percentage (74.0) and touchdown passes (23).

2. Josh Allen, Bills

Allen is doing his usual MVP-caliber work as a passer, but also chasing his own record for quarterback rushing touchdowns (15) with nine.

3. Brock Purdy, 49ers

Purdy’s efficiency is hard to top. He’s never had a season with fewer than 65% of his passes completed or a passer rating below 96.

4. Jared Goff, Lions

It’s another clockwork season for Goff, who has his second-best passer rating at 106.4 and is now 54-35-1 as the Lions’ starter.

5. Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars

Lawrence has been the league’s most accurate thrower, per Pro Football Reference, with nearly 84% of his passes graded as on-target.

6. Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs

Coming off a torn ACL, Mahomes looks back to normal. He’s had just one bad game out of eight in his return.

7. Jordan Love, Packers

Love averages nearly 300 yards and just had a monster game against the Patriots: 23-for-29 passing, 372 yards, three touchdowns, 153.2 passer rating.

8. C.J. Stroud, Texans

What a comeback: Stroud has been answering questions about his dropoff the last two seasons and whether he’s the Texans’ future.

9. Caleb Williams, Bears

Williams hasn’t arrived, but is arriving. Establishing himself as the best quarterback from his 2024 draft class is a key mile marker.

10. Jayden Daniels, Commanders

It’s been two seasons of injuries and inconsistency after his huge rookie year, but there’s still plenty to like about where he’s headed.

11. Dak Prescott, Cowboys

Prescott has been trending downwardly for three seasons now and might need a change of scenery if he wants to do some real winning.

12. Matthew Stafford, Rams

The Rams are back above .500, but need more from the reigning MVP. He already has thrown more interceptions (nine) than last season (eight).

13. Drake Maye, Patriots

Maye is among the best young quarterbacks, but has thrown a league-worst 11 interceptions and has four games with a sub-80 passer rating.

14. Geno Smith, Jets

No one notices because he plays for the hapless Jets, but Smith is having one of his best seasons at age 36.

15. Kirk Cousins, Vikings

The Vikings saw their ship sinking under terrible quarterback play and turned to Cousins to save them. He was playing solidly for the Raiders.

16. Bryce Young, Panthers

Young has been all over the place this season, and that shouldn’t be happening in Year 4. The Panthers should start over.

17. Tyler Shough, Saints

After a good rookie season, Shough has progressed modestly. The Bears get a look at him next weekend coming off their bye.

18. Aaron Rodgers, Steelers

Rodgers hasn’t been elite since 2021, but he’s holding it together well enough for the Steelers to be 6-2 atop the AFC North.

19. Deshaun Watson, Browns

It’s hard to believe the Browns are 5-4 and harder still to believe that Watson is back to playing at even a decent level.

20. Jacoby Brissett, Ravens

Brissett is a journeyman on his seventh team, but he’s stepping into an advantageous situation with Lamar Jackson potentially out for the season.

21. Sam Darnold, Seahawks

Darnold is out this week with a rib injury, but expected back for Seattle’s next game. He’s running out of time to get rolling.

22. Bo Nix, Broncos

The warning signs on Nix were always there, and it’s reached a point that he’s holding the Broncos back and they must reevaluate.

23. Michael Penix, Falcons

Much like Young, Penix has been erratic. Sometimes he looks like he could win a playoff game, other times he’s a wreck.

24. Justin Herbert, Chargers

Herbert has plunged, and the winless Chargers have gone with him. He’s been sacked 31 times in by far his worst season.

25. Baker Mayfield, Buccaneers

Coming off a three-year, $165 million contract extension, Mayfield hasn’t looked right since dislocating his thumb on his throwing hand.

26. Cam Ward, Titans

How can anyone even get a good read on Ward amid the total mess the Titans have been during his two seasons?

27. Daniel Jones, Colts

It’s tough to keep the job playing as poorly as Jones, who has a league-low 68.9 passer rating and is averaging under 200 yards.

28. Fernando Mendoza, Raiders

The No. 1 overall pick and Heisman Trophy winner will be the starter over the final eight games after the Raiders traded Cousins.

29. J.J. McCarthy, Giants

It’s rare to see a playoff team down here. The Giants’ playoff outlook would be much different if Jaxson Dart hadn’t gotten hurt.

30. Carson Beck, Cardinals

The Cardinals, already a mess, are on their third quarterback and it’s Beck, a third-round pick out of Miami, debuting against the Rams.

31. Joe Milton, Eagles

Milton is on his third team in three seasons, and the once-mighty Eagles are in freefall after losing starter Jalen Hurts.

32. Kyle McCord, Dolphins

McCord will start at least the next four games, and Dolphins starter Malik Willis’ return from a groin injury is uncertain.