Bears QB Caleb Williams Makes Request Before 3rd NFL Season
Caleb Williams enters his third NFL season with enormous expectations after emerging as one of the league's brightest young quarterbacks in 2025. Following a turbulent rookie campaign that saw the Bears win just five games amid organizational upheaval, Williams flourished under new head coach Ben Johnson last season.
He led Chicago to an 11-6 record, its first NFC North title since 2018, and the franchise's first playoff victory since the 2010 season. Along the way, Williams threw for a franchise-record 3,942 passing yards, 27 touchdowns and engineered a league-high seven game-winning drives.
Those expectations will only grow in 2026, and Williams will try to prove that last season's success wasn't a fluke. Chicago faces the NFL's toughest strength of schedule in 2026 based on opponents' winning percentages from last season, and all eyes will be on the 24-year-old quarterback to show he can elevate Chicago into a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
As preparations for the 2026 season intensifies, Williams weighed in on one of the most heavily debated NFL topics. 11 NFL stadiums hosted matches during the FIFA World Cup matches, with seven of those venues, including AT&T Stadium and MetLife Stadium, temporarily replacing their artificial turf with natural grass. However, these stadiums will revert to artificial turf for the upcoming league year.
On Friday, Williams joined several NFL players to push back on this decision via the #WorthTheCost movement, posting a graphic on X that read, "Why Can't We Have This Too?"
#worththecostpic.twitter.com/UxVcFc4lr2
— Caleb Williams (@CALEBcsw) July 17, 2026
The discussion over grass versus artificial turf has grown louder following the World Cup. Players across the NFL have long argued that natural grass is safer, with the NFL Players Association repeatedly advocating for a league-wide switch.
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Team owners, however, have largely resisted the change because of the substantial costs associated with installing and maintaining natural grass, particularly at multipurpose venues that regularly host concerts and other major events. Several owners have also cited operational concerns and league injury data that they believe does not justify a permanent switch.
Williams already plays his home games on one of the NFL's natural grass fields. Soldier Field has featured a natural grass surface since 1988, currently Bermuda grass, and remains one of the few stadiums in the league that does not use artificial turf.
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This story was originally published July 18, 2026 at 6:15 AM.