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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – JANUARY 18: Caleb Williams #18 of the Chicago Bears warms up prior to the game against the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Divisional Playoffs at Soldier Field on January 18, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Chicago Bears great Brian Urlacher knows all about what it takes to excel in the Windy City.
Urlacher was arguably the best linebacker of the 2000s and played his entire career (2000-2012) in Chicago, leading them to the Super Bowl during the 2006 season and playing the third-most games in franchise history.
Fast forward to today and the Bears are probably at their best since Urlacher suited up for the team. Franchise quarterback Caleb Williams just led the team to their first playoff win since the 2010 season, when Urlacher led Chicago to the NFC Championship Game.
Williams is now on the cover of the latest iteration of the Madden video game series, becoming the first member of the franchise to accomplish the feat. When asked what are his thoughts on Williams and who he would compare him to, Urlacher spoke glowingly of the 24-year-old quarterback and said there is no comparison.
“He is so unique,” said Urlacher in a one-on-one interview. “I don’t compare him to anyone, because first of all, he has a great arm, and so you’ll get these quarterbacks that can run, but they can’t throw as well. Or they can throw good, but they can’t run.”
Brian Urlacher Compliments Caleb Williams’ Mobility
Williams is coming off of an excellent season in his first year playing under head coach Ben Johnson. In his second year in the NFL, Williams upped his totals from his rookie year from 20 to 27 touchdowns and set a single season franchise record with 3,942 yards.
He also continued to show off his rushing ability with 388 yards and three touchdowns. During his rookie season, Williams ran for 489 yards, ranking seventh in that category among all quarterbacks.
Urlacher complimented Williams’ dual-threat ability, saying that’s a major trait of what makes him unique.
“Equally well, he runs it really well when he has to, he scrambles unreal when he throws the ball down the field, when he scrambles, he can make every throw, so you get these guys who can run, they’re mostly running quarterbacks, but they can’t throw it as well,” said Urlacher of Williams. “Caleb doesn’t have that, he throws, he does both equally well.”
Unlike last season when all eyes were on the other three NFC North foes — they were coming off playoff appearances — the attention will be on the Bears this season. We’ll see if Williams can match — if not exceed — his performance from last season, but it’ll certainly go a long way towards determining the Bears’ level of success next season.
Brian Urlacher Participating in American Century Championship
While Urlacher will be paying close tabs to his former team this upcoming season, the all-time Bears great will be keeping busy on the greens. That’s because the eight-time Pro Bowl linebacker is once again participating in the American Century Championship, the most notable annual celebrity golf tournament. Other notable figures in the tournament include Steph Curry, Tony Romo and John Smoltz and will be broadcast on NBC and Peacock.
“Oh gosh, I think this is probably close to my 17th or 18th year playing in the American Century Championship,” said Urlacher. “It’s just fun, man. Every summer we put that on our calendar, hoping to get the invite. I think the invites go out like in February or March, but we just kind of sit around waiting for the invite, and then kind of build our summer around this week. It’s a blast. The competition’s fun, but hanging out with all those other guys from all the different sports, and then the actors and stuff, just a good week, man. There’s a ton of fans now that go. It’s amazing how much it’s blown up there in Tahoe.”
DJ Siddiqi covers the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He has covered the NFL and NBA for Forbes, ClutchPoints, CBS Sports, 24/7 Sports and Bleacher Report before joining Heavy. More about DJ Siddiqi
