QBs Williams, Young, Darnold Must Start Proving Themselves In 2025

Caleb Williams talks with head coach Ben Johnson at a Bears practice. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

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The NFL has become a guessing game when it comes to preseason performance. As the league heads into the second week of preseason games, head coaches around the league are rolling the dice and a majority of teams will play many of their key starters – including quarterbacks – in an effort to prepare for the season.

What does this really mean? It means that for a series, perhaps two but no more than one quarter, the starters will be on the field and put their skills and abilities to the test. A coach like Ben Johnson in Chicago will actually see quarterback Caleb Williams play in a game against the Buffalo Bills Sunday.

Williams had a less-than-impressive rookie season under the Bears previous coaching regime and there is pressure on the No. 1 selection in the 2024 NFL Draft to show what he can do under center. Johnson was considered the top coach available last year during the NFL’s hiring season and he is not married to Williams. If he is not happy with Williams and the way he performs, the Bears could be looking for another new quarterback at the end of the season.

Will 10 to 12 plays in the second preseason game be enough to draw a conclusion for Johnson or any other coach in a similar position around the league? Absolutely not, but it is enough for a first impression to be formed. Once a quarterback delivers that to a key decision maker, it may not be so easy to change that impression as the summer moves along and the start of the season gets closer.

Williams is just one of the NFL’s quarterbacks who is under pressure to perform this season. Bryce Young of the Carolina Panthers is another. He was the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft and after a disastrous rookie season, he made significant progress in the second half of last season.

He had been benched after the second week of the season in favor of veteran retread Andy Dalton, but the Red Rifle was involved in an October car accident and that allowed Young to take the field once again. Young finished on a positive note, leading the Panthers to a 4-5 record overall and a 92.2 passer rating in the final weeks of the season with 10 touchdowns and three interceptions. A good start is essential if Young wants to ensure that his fifth-year option is picked up by Carolina.

Darnold has to prove himself once again

The Seattle Seahawks decided to move on from Geno Smith at the conclusion of last season even though he led the team to two consecutive winning seasons. The Seahawks have decided to go with ex-Viking Sam Darnold after he led Minnesota to a shocking 14-3 record last year.

Darnold is coming off the best season of his career as he completed 361 of 545 passes for 4,319 yards with a remarkable 35-12 TD-to-interception ratio. That was a brilliant year under quarterback whisperer Kevin O’Connell and it earned Darnold a three-year, $100 million contract. The quarterback will be paid $37.5 million this season, but the team can walk away from Darnold if general manager John Schneider and head coach Mike Macdonald are not thrilled with his performance.

Making matters more complicated were Seattle’s personnel decisions that sent key receivers DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett packing. The Seahawks are going forward with Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Cooper Kupp and rookie Tony Horton at the wideout position, and that may be a major downturn from Seattle’s previous receivers.

The Cardinals have been waiting for Kyler Murray to become an elite NFL quarterback since the 2019 season. Murray is an elite athlete who compares to Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens.

Murray has not produced at that level. He has a 36-45-1 record with the Cardinals and just one postseason appearance. He has a cap hit of $43 million this season and $53 million in 2026, and the Cardinals are expecting a huge season from him. The heat is clearly on Murray to produce this season.