Former professional and University of Arizona football player Rob Gronkowski high fives Wildcats cheerleaders before the game against the the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Arizona Stadium.
Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams is expected to make the leap in his third season. After all, he channeled NBA legend Michael Jordan in his cover pose for Madden NFL 27.
Williams said he is ready to face the pressure. He had an encouraging stint in his sophomore year, leading the Bears to an 11-6 record to advance to the playoffs, ending a four-year drought. He threw for 3,942 yards, 27 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He had a 90.1 passer rating.
NFL legend Rob Gronkowski, however, pumped the brakes on the optimism in Chicago.
“No one is really on board that the Bears are absolutely dominant. They had last season, but it was a magical season. Magical seasons don't happen two years in a row like that,” said Gronkowski on “Up & Adams.”
“The only way the Bears would be able to make it is if they take away that magic and they show that they don't need that magic. They stepped it up. Caleb Williams became a better quarterback. They became a better team.”
"Magical seasons don’t happen two years in a row…" 😢😳
Gronk is NOT in on the Chicago Bears pic.twitter.com/aoQCmR99kH
— Kay Adams (@heykayadams) September 9, 2026
Gronkowski, who won four championships with the New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, noted that inconsistency was Chicago's main issue last season.
While he acknowledged that Williams had heroic performances, the 24-year-old star cannot always simply rely on late-game magic and abracadabra their way to victory.
“The clutch gene runs out when it's magical. In order to have the clutch gene, you have to be a perfectionist,” added Gronkowski, citing NFL icon Tom Brady, his longtime teammate, as an example.
“It's not throwing the ball out there after running 30 yards back and hoping a miracle happens and someone comes down with it. I mean, it was great football. To watch it was a lot of fun. But to have that consistency, you have to be a drill sergeant in the fourth quarter.”
The Bears will face the Carolina Panthers in Week 1 on Sunday.