Erik Kramer never became the franchise guy the Chicago Bears hoped for when they signed him in 1994. However, he still managed to carve his place in franchise history with his excellent 1995 season. That year, he threw for 3,838 yards and 29 touchdowns. Both were Bears single-season records. Nobody knew it at the time, but those marks would hold for the next 30 years. Chicago's notorious issues at quarterback allowed Kramer to hold the record for a long time. At last, on the final day of the 2025 regular season, Caleb Williams took him down.
Early in the 4th quarter against the Detroit Lions, Williams stood 20 yards away from the record. Needing a score to chip away at a 16-0 deficit, the Bears quarterback threw a perfect 25-yard strike to Jahdae Walker for a touchdown. Of all the ways to break a record that has stood for so long, that felt the most appropriate. It was a moment that made you appreciate how far Williams has come from last season, as well as what Kramer managed to accomplish all those years ago that fans probably didn't acknowledge enough.
Caleb Williams is just getting started.
Remember, this is the first year in a new offense under Ben Johnson. He hasn't even scratched the surface of what this system can do. He's also been doing it with largely a rookie cast of weapons for much of the second half of the season. Colston Loveland and Luther Burden have been awesome. Walker is chipping in as well. The prospects for Williams' future can't be overstated. If he's this effective so early in the gestation period, it is exciting to think about how much better he'll be with another offseason of work.
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It appears that pass created a spark for the Bears they'd been searching for all game. Just minutes after it happened, the Bears defense got another stop. Caleb Williams then led them on another scoring drive to tie the game 16-16. Regardless of the outcome, the proof is beyond arguing that this kid is built for the big moments. The greater the pressure, the better he plays. Chicago hasn't seen that kind of athlete in this town for a long time—around 30 years, actually.
