The Chicago Bears are 11-4 with a division crown in sight. This could be a surprise for fans, but this is actually a story they have seen play out before.
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Caleb Williams is not the first sophomore quarterback in franchise history to lead the Bears to this record while accounting for 27 total touchdowns. Mitch Trubisky also did so during the 2018 season while overcoming a shoulder injury.
In fact, both first-round draft picks did so after losing double-digit games as rookies and going through head coaching changes.
Sophomore season with Bears
Caleb Williams Mitchell Trubisky
11-4 W-L 11-3
3,791 Total Yards 3,644
27 Total TD 27 pic.twitter.com/5a5TLO8PsC— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) December 23, 2025
The 2017 season featured Trubisky starting as the backup to Mike Glennon. He took over as starter in Week 5 and tried to get the Bears back on track after a 1-3 start to the season.
Trubisky went 4-8 as a starter while throwing for 2,193 yards, seven touchdowns, and seven interceptions. The Bears then fired head coach John Fox and replaced him with former Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy.
Williams, for comparison, started all 17 games of his rookie season. He went 5-12 as a starter while throwing for 3,541 yards, 20 touchdowns, and six interceptions. The Bears fired head coach Matt Eberflus after 12 games and then hired former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson after the season.
Trubisky's second season as a starter featured him missing two games due to a shoulder injury, but he delivered career-high numbers across the board while leading the Bears to an NFC North title.
The former North Carolina quarterback threw for 3,223 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. This included a six-touchdown performance in a 48-10 win over the Buccaneers. Trubisky also rushed for 421 yards and three touchdowns while going 11-3 as a starter.
The Bears hosted the Eagles in the wild card round of the playoffs, and the team had an opportunity to win after the second-year quarterback led one final drive. However, kicker Cody Parkey's attempt at a game-winner bounced off the goalposts two times before falling to the ground. The Bears saw their season end in the opening round of the playoffs.
Williams has not finished accumulating stats, but he has eerily parallel numbers to Trubisky. He has led the Bears to an 11-4 record so far while throwing for 3,400 yards, 23 touchdowns, and six interceptions. He has added 369 yards and three touchdowns as a runner. He also caught one pass for a touchdown.
The Bears are currently the second seed in the NFC playoff standings. If this remains the same through the final two games of the regular season, they will once again host a home playoff game. Bears fans will just hope that the outcome is different than in 2018.
