When the NFL released the 2025 Pro Bowl rosters heading into Week 17, the quarterback selections followed a familiar script. Matthew Stafford was in. Dak Prescott earned his spot. Sam Darnold’s career season was rewarded. What quickly became the headline, though, was who didn’t make it.
Advertisement
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, fresh off leading his team to an 11–4 record and a playoff berth, was nowhere to be found. For fans, the omission felt personal. For Colin Cowherd, it was something else entirely.
“Snub is pretty strong,” Cowherd said while addressing the backlash. “Like Pulp Fiction did not win Best Movie. Was it a snub? Well, there was Forrest Gump and Shawshank Redemption. That’s a pretty good year. That’s not a snub. He just lost out to other good movies.”
In his view, Williams didn’t get passed over because voters disrespected him. He simply played in a season where other quarterbacks were more complete, more efficient, and more consistent from start to finish.
“All six quarterbacks that made the Pro Bowl have better stats than Caleb,” Cowherd said flatly. “I mean, Darnold’s got a 101 passer rating. And Caleb’s got an 89, and that’s with a brilliant offensive coach.”
Cowherd emphasized context, noting that Sam Darnold produced his numbers while playing for a defensive-minded head coach, while Williams benefited from one of the league’s most respected offensive minds in Bears head coach Ben Johnson. “Caleb’s got a brilliant offensive coach,” Cowherd reiterated. “Darnold’s got a defensive guy.”
If Cowherd was going to argue a true snub existed, he didn’t point to Williams. He pointed to someone else entirely.
“If you wanna talk about a snub,” Cowherd said, “his whole career could be termed a snub. It’s Jared Goff in the same division as Caleb. Jared Goff’s got 32 touchdowns, five picks, a 109 passer rating,” he said. “People are like, ‘Well, he doesn’t run very well.’ He’s a quarterback.”
Even then, Cowherd stopped short of calling Goff flawless, adding that he would still take Stafford in the pocket. But the contrast mattered. Williams’ numbers simply didn’t measure up.
“If you look at Caleb’s numbers,” Cowherd said, “89 passer rating, 58 percent completion percentage, 23 touchdowns, six picks. His greatest stat, to be honest with you, is 11 wins and four losses.”
Williams, meanwhile, hasn’t hidden his frustration, but he’s framed it through a familiar lens of self-motivation. Despite being the No. 1 overall pick and a so-called generational talent, he continues to describe his journey as one defined by doubt.
“I wasn’t the biggest, I wasn’t the strongest, I wasn’t the tallest, fastest, whatever the case may be,” Williams told reporters. “I get drafted here, told that I’m not a special player, told that I’m not a good fit here, told that Coach Ben Johnson and I won’t work, told I can’t win here.”
Williams admitted the Pro Bowl omission stung, but made it clear his priorities lie elsewhere. “I do take a little satisfaction being able to help this team, help this organization, be a part of it, to get to the playoffs,” he said. “My goal isn’t just to get to the playoffs. My goal is to win and win big.”
Statistically, Williams finished the season with 3,400 passing yards, 23 touchdowns, six interceptions, and an 89.5 passer rating while adding 369 rushing yards and three scores on the ground. Those numbers tell the story Cowherd emphasized: promising, exciting, but not yet dominant.
Bears head coach Ben Johnson sees growth, even if the Pro Bowl voters didn’t. “He always makes plays when needed,” Johnson said. “He’s clutch like that. I think he gets better every single week. I really do think he’s playing some of his best football right now of the year.”
Now, with Chicago set to face the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night, the focus has shifted completely. The Bears are 11–4, the playoffs are secured, and Williams is trending upward at the right time.
