Caleb Williams manifesting MVP breakout to match Cubs star Pete Crow-Armstrong

Chicago Cubs star centerfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong can empathize with Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams. An extremely highly-touted prospect, PCA struggled early in his MLB career and battled against accusations of being overrated, overhyped, and over-the-top with his personality.

Crow-Armstrong was ridiculed for his blue hair in Spring Training and many detractors felt like the hype didn't match the production, to say the least.

And in 2025, Crow-Armstrong has proven every single one of his detractors to be foolish, at best. Caleb Williams is dealing with a lot of similar things from people in the NFL media world with many questioning whether or not he was overhyped as the #1 pick in last year's draft. Williams is under the microscope for everything he does, including painting his nails different colors.

Just like we're seeing with PCA on the Cubs, Williams is hopeful for a huge breakout year in 2025 to become a superstar quarterback with the Chicago Bears.

Caleb Williams drawing inspiration from fellow Chicago sports star PCA?

Just like with Crow-Armstrong on the Cubs, Bears fans and football fans, in general, expected Caleb Williams to hit the ground sprinting based on his draft status and hype. But fans quickly found out that development in the NFL is different for everybody, and not even the #1 pick in the draft is guaranteed to be an overnight success story.

After winning the Heisman at USC a couple of years ago, the expectation was that Williams would have a Patrick Mahomes-like impact immediately in the NFL, especially with the supporting cast of receivers and skill players the Bears put around him. That didn't happen.

Instead, fans were forced to look at the glimpses of greatness Williams put on tape in between taking way too many sacks and getting let down by his teammates on a number of occasions. To say Williams's rookie year was tough would be an understatement, as the Bears went from having playoff aspirations before the start of the season to being one of the most disappointing teams in the league.

But the tough times in 2024 don't have to be viewed as a permanent indicator for the future. There is such a thing as failing forward. Williams has an upgraded offensive line and even more weapons now than he had a year ago. If the game can slow down for him, Chicago sports fans are going to have plenty to rejoice over as their new MVP candidate on the diamond leads the Cubs to October glory with Williams taking that next step in his second season.