The results of the Chicago Bears‘ season provide almost more questions than answers heading into 2026, though Green Bay Packers superstar Micah Parsons is already convinced — at least when it comes to quarterback Caleb Williams.
Parsons spoke with the NFL regarding the league’s top 100 players heading into the upcoming campaign, a list that those players’ peers will vote on and ultimately decide. Parsons, who has already been crystal clear that there is no love lost between himself and the rival Bears, answered the question bluntly with two simple words.
“Yeah, Iceman,” Parsons said.
Iceman is, of course, Williams’ nickname — one he earned across a record eight fourth-quarter comebacks that he engineered in 2025. One of those victories came against the Packers in Week 16 at Soldier Field after Green Bay held a 10-point edge late in the fourth quarter.
The Bears and Packers played that game just one week after Parsons suffered a season-ending ACL tear.
Williams also brought Chicago back from the brink against Green Bay during the opening round of the playoffs. The Bears entered the second half down 18 points at home, but walked into the second round on the strength of a four-point win. Parsons did not participate in that contest either due to his injury.
Micah Parsons Consistently Top-3 Defensive Player in NFL
GettyGreen Bay Packers pass-rusher Micah Parsons.
Parsons, a freak athlete and football genius in his own right, recognized the same traits in Williams last season.
Despite his injury, Parsons earned All-Pro honors for the fourth time in his five-year career and also ended the campaign in the Pro Bowl. He finished top three in Defensive Player of the Year voting for the fourth time as well.
Given his consistently elite statistical production, Parsons has his own case as perhaps the best players in the league.
The strongest argument against him as the NFL’s top performer is that reigning DPOY Myles Garrett is one of the few players who has been clearly better than Parsons over the past few years, and he plays the same position. The other is that Parsons isn’t a quarterback, and QBs tend to get the most credit for team success.
Caleb Williams’ Trajectory Pointed Upward, as Bears-Packers Rivalry Enters New Chapter
GettyChicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams.
Williams was far from a perfect season during his second professional campaign, struggling with his accuracy to the tune of a 58.1 percent completion percentage. That represented a 4.4 percent regression from his rookie campaign.
However, the QB vastly improved his decision-making in the pocket. That maturity, along with an improved offensive line under head coach Ben Johnson, led to a decrease in sacks from 68 in 2024 to just 24 of them in 2025. Williams continued to protect the ball effectively, throwing just seven interceptions last season compared to six during his first year.
He fell 58 passing yards shy of becoming the first Bears QB to ever throw for 4,000 yards in a single season and added 27 TD passes compared to the 20 he tallied in Year 1.
Williams also showed excellent mobility and escapability in the pocket. He made a handful of throws in clutch moments that few quarterbacks in the history of the game could execute, pointing to a ceiling as one of the best players in the league if he can work out his consistency.
That said, eight fourth-quarter comebacks will be hard to replicate, and Chicago can’t afford to start so slow so frequently/live on the edge so much in 2026.
The Bears’ defense also led the league in turnovers and turnover differential last season, and the unit probably won’t be so lucky next year. Finally, there have been a couple of disruptions to Chicago’s offensive line this offseason.
All of that points to a likely regression for the Bears in 2026, which could open up an opportunity for the Packers to make a run at the division crown for the first time since 2021.
Micah Parsons Doesn’t Hold Back True Feelings on Caleb Williams