The Chicago Bears got more than just another win on Thursday night. In their 30-24 victory over the New England Patriots, quarterback Caleb Williams delivered another impressive performance against Drake Maye, giving the NFL a glimpse of what could become one of the league’s defining quarterback rivalries for years to come.
Before the matchup, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer conducted a poll of NFL executives and coaches to determine which quarterback they would rather build a franchise around.
The answer may surprise some people.
Bears’ Caleb Williams Gets Vote of Confidence From NFL Insiders in Drake Maye Debate
Breer asked six general managers, five offensive coordinators, four assistant GMs, a VP of player personnel, and a pass-game coordinator on who they’d rather have between Caleb Williams and Drake Maye. The answer? 12 said Williams, while five said Maye.
Those who preferred Williams pointed to his tremendous ceiling, creativity and ability to deliver in crucial moments. One assistant general manager even compared the difficulty of defending him to the challenges presented by Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes.
“You call a perfect D,” one assistant GM said. “And still get beat, just like Josh and Mahomes.”
One offensive coordinator added, “It’s Caleb; it wouldn’t really be close for me. More ability, keeps getting better, gives you a chance to win every game and he’s clutch.”
Of course, Maye also received considerable support. One offensive coordinator said, “Drake appears to me to be a little ahead of Caleb operating in the pocket and getting through progressions in the passing game, and still has athleticism to create. Caleb has great athleticism/speed and arm strength but is maybe a little less consistent.”
He followed up, saying, “Both are going to end up being really good.”
Bears-Patriots Game Draws Massive Thursday Night Football Audience
The excitement surrounding Caleb Williams and Drake Maye extended well beyond the field, as the Bears’ win over the Patriots also attracted a massive television audience.
According to Prime Video, the Thursday night matchup averaged 19.86 million, making it the second-most-watched Thursday Night Football game in the platform’s history.
Only last season’s Christmas night matchup between the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs, which averaged 21.1 million viewers, drew a larger audience.
“Prime says Thursday’s game is the most-watched Week 7 game on record across the history of the Thursday Night Football package, beating the previous mark set in 2015 by +16%,” Richard Deitsch wrote on X.
The victory was not without flaws, and Chicago will need to continue improving on both sides of the ball (cough cough trade!). However, winning a nationally televised game while Williams went toe-to-toe against Maye is an encouraging sign.
Bears Land Intriguing Message on Caleb Williams After Drake Maye Showdown