Matthew Stafford recently appeared on the “Let’s Go!” Podcast to discuss various topics around the NFL. One of them was related to which of the young quarterbacks around the league to look out for in the coming years. The veteran named four candidates during his interview: Jaxson Dart, Drake Maye, C.J. Stroud, and Jayden Daniels.
One of the most surprising outcomes of Matthew Stafford’s list is not who was on it, but who was left off. Caleb Williams is the most notable name that he omitted, despite his solid start to the 2025 NFL season with the Chicago Bears. He has totaled 11 touchdowns in six games and currently has a 4-2 record since they hired Ben Johnson to take over as their head coach this year.
Caleb Williams’ Rising Stock Not Enough to Impress Matthew Stafford
That is, undoubtedly, an impressive list of young quarterbacks, as all four of them have been outstanding during their careers so far. Dart has been the top rookie this year, and Maye is among the MVP candidates, while Stroud and Daniels have both already won playoff games.
However, Caleb Williams was one of the most hyped quarterback prospects entering his rookie season with the Bears last year. He was selected as the first-overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, ahead of Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye.
He didn’t quite live up to his massive expectations in his debut campaign, especially with his extremely disappointing 5-12 record, despite having an extremely talented roster. This may contribute to why Matthew Stafford left him off of his list of quarterbacks to keep an eye on, though Williams is off to a much better start to the 2025 season.
The Bears will enter Week 8 on an active four-game winning streak as they prepare to take on the struggling Baltimore Ravens, who may be without Lamar Jackson again as he recovers from an injury. If he is unable to play, this would give the Bears a strong chance of earning their fifth consecutive victory.
One way for Williams to potentially get on Matthew Stafford’s list would be to keep winning games. A head-to-head matchup may be the best way for him to impress the veteran, potentially, but the two teams will not meet during the regular season this year.
Their only potential meeting this season could come in the playoffs, and if they happen to face off, it will be interesting to see if Williams uses the omission as fuel.