Tom Brady Puts Caleb Williams on “MVP Watch” After Bears’ 59-Points Outing Against Panthers

Tom Brady ranked the Chicago Bears second in his Week one Power Rankings.

Tom Brady Puts Caleb Williams on “MVP Watch” After Bears’ 59-Points Outing Against Panthers

Caleb Williams (Image via IMAGO)

Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears made Ben Johnson proud with an emphatic victory to start the 2026 NFL season. Tom Brady noticed.

The Bears scored 59 points against the Carolina Panthers in Week one. Speaking on NFL on FOX, Brady unveiled his early-season power rankings. He ranked the Bears second, trailing only the reigning world champions, the Seattle Seahawks.

The seven-time Super Bowl champion also made a bold prediction about Williams’ season.

The Caleb Williams MVP watch is underway. Bears are number 2. They put 59 on Carolina [Panthers] in Week 1.

Tom Brady said

Here’s Tom Brady’s complete Week one power ranking:

  1. Seattle Seahawks
  2. Chicago Bears
  3. San Francisco 49ers
  4. Baltimore Ravens
  5. Buffalo Bills
  6. Philadelphia Eagles
  7. Kansas City Chiefs
  8. Jacksonville Jaguars
  9. Detroit Lions
  10. Cincinnati Bengals
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Tom Brady urges the Bears to improve in one key area

The Bears only trailed once against the Panthers, when Carolina broke the deadlock in the first quarter. Williams and the Bears scored three unanswered touchdowns. Before halftime, they had scored 31. After the break, they added 28 points.

Tom Brady Puts Caleb Williams on "MVP Watch" After Bears' 59-Points Outing Against Panthers
Caleb Williams (Image via IMAGO)

Chicago had 552 total yards, of which 291 were rushing. D’Andre Swift rushed 18 times for 124 yards and scored 3 touchdowns. Kyle Monangai had 100 yards and one score, and Williams added 65 yards and two scores.

The Bears listened to their head coach, Ben Johnson, who declared that he wants his team to have “blowouts” in every game. However, Tom Brady pointed out one area the Bears need to improve to be a top contender.

Ben Johnson wants the highest scoring offense ever, but we need to see a little defense from this team when they get back to Chicago.

Brady said

While the Bears’ offense thrived, their defense struggled to contain the Panthers. Despite leading 21-7 at the start of the second quarter, the Panthers tied it 24-24 right before halftime. And again right after halftime, Chuba Hubbard scored to make it 31-31. Carolina scored another touchdown late in the fourth quarter to end with 37 points.

Brady is thrilled with the Bears playing aggressive football, but the defense matters as much as the offense, sometimes more, because every championship-winning side has boasted great defense. Then again, Brady has no problem if the Bears outscore every defense they face.

Screw it. Keep scoring 59. I’m an offensive guy. Either way works.

Brady said

Williams finished with 320+ yards and 4 touchdowns. Swift gained 124 yards and scored 3 touchdowns, earning NFC’s offensive player of the week award.

Analyst says he is a big fan of Caleb Williams

It’s not easy to please Stephen A. Smith. The veteran ESPN analyst will find nuanced ways to critique a player, especially a quarterback. Smith will let everyone know his honest thoughts.

After Williams scored four touchdowns against the Panthers, Smith stated that he’s a big fan of the 24-year-old.

I’m a huge Caleb Williams fan. I believe he’s going to win a Super Bowl for [the Bears] one day. I’m dead serious about that. I believe he’s the greatest quarterback in the history of the Chicago Bears, right now; the brother is special. It’s not that hard, but Caleb Williams is a bad brother, and by bad… I mean, leaping towards greatness. I don’t know if they’re going to do it this year, but he’s going to win a Super Bowl.

Stephen A. Smith said on ESPN’s First Take

Williams has come a long way since his rookie year struggles. The Bears won just five games in his first year. Williams was sacked a staggering 68 times. That said, he threw for 3541 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions.

The Bears appointed Johnson and started winning the close game that looked impossible a year earlier. Williams engineered seven-game winning drives, more than any quarterback in 2025. His Hail Mary pass in the wildcard round against the Packers resulted in the Bears’ first playoff victory in years.

Williams must bring the same energy in Week 2 against rivals the Minnesota Vikings.

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