logo
Aaron Rodgers and Caleb Williams to Face Off for the First Time This November

Aaron Rodgers and Caleb Williams to Face Off for the First Time This November

Yahoo4 days ago

Aaron Rodgers and Caleb Williams to Face Off for the First Time This November originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Chicago Bears are gearing up to rebound in a big way after a stretch of seasons marked by inconsistency and transition. With fresh leadership and Caleb Williams poised to lead the charge, hopes are high that 2025 could mark the beginning of a new era. And now, a November matchup that was already circled on the calendar just got a lot spicier. One side of the field may feature a rookie sensation, while the other boasts a returning NFL legend looking to make another mark in the Windy City.
Advertisement
According to NFL insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero—both respected national reporters with NFL Network—veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers has 'informed the Steelers' he plans to sign with them before next week's minicamp on a one-year deal.
Aaron RodgersGetty Images
The report was shared in a post on X by Bleacher Report, stirring immediate buzz across the NFL landscape.
The move sets up a massive quarterback duel at Soldier Field between Rodgers and the Bears' rising star, Caleb Williams. Rodgers last played at Soldier Field in December 2022, where he led the Packers to a 28–19 win. He threw for 182 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions, extending his dominant run over the Bears.
Bears quarterback Caleb Williams throws a pass against the Vikings.Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
As for Williams, he's entering his second NFL season after throwing for 3,541 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions as a rookie. With the Bears building a strong foundation around him—including weapons on offense like Rome Odunze, who many believe is poised for a breakout, as well as promising rookies Luther Burden and Colston Loveland—and an improved line, anticipation for his leap in year two is sky-high.
Advertisement
All eyes will be on Soldier Field this November when a future Hall of Famer and one of the league's most intriguing young quarterbacks meet for the first time. For Bears fans, it's more than just a game—it's a chance to witness a generational torch possibly being passed on home turf.
Related: Key Defensive Starter Returns from Injury to Spark Bears Unit
Related: Bears Rookie Draws Buzz Online With Viral Video Moment
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 5, 2025, where it first appeared.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Baylor men's basketball begins summer practice with entirely new roster
Baylor men's basketball begins summer practice with entirely new roster

CBS News

time9 minutes ago

  • CBS News

Baylor men's basketball begins summer practice with entirely new roster

Baylor coach Scott Drew had plenty of players for the first practice of the summer Wednesday, about two months after the team photo from last season was widely circulated on social media with an X marked over all 14 of those players since none were returning to the Bears. Only four of those players exhausted their college eligibility. Nine others left in the transfer portal and one-and-done guard VJ Edgecombe could become Baylor's highest pick ever in the NBA draft later this month. "Guys you didn't want to lose and were valuable, we haven't had many that we've lost. Whenever you do, that just tears at a coach, because you feel like you didn't do your job," Drew said this week. "With the portal, I think we've all gotten used to a lot more turnover in a hurry, and not to take things necessarily personal." The Bears rebuilt their roster with eight transfers and a four-player signing class with a five-star prospect and the son of an NBA champion. Among the 14 players at the first practice was Cameron Carr, the former Tennessee guard who transferred to Baylor in the middle of last season, long after that team photo session. One of the former Bears was guard Robert Wright, who averaged 11.5 points and 4.2 assists a game as a freshman last season and had reportedly agreed to a lucrative NIL deal to stay before transferring to BYU for an even bigger package. "You know people are going to leave. Rob, obviously, was someone we had an agreement with. When you make an agreement, you think you're done," Drew said, without getting into any specifics. "Obviously that was a surprise to us, but again, the staff did a great job of putting together a roster and team. That's part of, hopefully, the House settlement, where you get to a point where you know who's on your team and when they're locked in, they're locked in." The eight incoming transfers have more than 500 games played combined, including guards Dan Skillings, who played 100 games over three years for Cincinnati, and JJ White, who started 75 of 99 games at Omaha over the same period. Juslin Bodo Bodo is a 7-foot post from Cameroon, who started all 71 of his games for the NCAA Tournament team High Point the past two seasons. Obi Agbim, a 6-foot-3 guard, was the Mountain West newcomer of the year after averaging 17.6 points and 3.4 assists in 29 games last season for Wyoming. Five-star prospect Tounde Yessoufou, a small forward from St. Joseph High School in California, leads the signing class that also includes Andre Iguodala II, whose father was a four-time champion over 19 NBA seasons with four teams; Italian forward Maikcol Perez and big man May Soyoye. Baylor, Gonzaga and Houston are the only teams to win at least one game in each of the past six NCAA Tournaments, though the Bears have lost in the second round the past four years since their national championship in 2021. Drew and his staff will get an early look at the new squad with Baylor representing the United States at the World University Games next month in Germany. "Any year you get a foreign tour, it's huge. ... Since we're returning 0.0 (percent of our) scoring, this give us all an opportunity," Drew said. "The games will be good for those that can play in it. But the practices will be great for everyone. And then, the one thing everybody leaves out is you do these team-bonding activities. There's nothing better than being overseas, that really brings you together a lot more than when you have all the distractions you do in the United States."

Seahawks DT Byron Murphy II tabbed for breakout season
Seahawks DT Byron Murphy II tabbed for breakout season

USA Today

time14 minutes ago

  • USA Today

Seahawks DT Byron Murphy II tabbed for breakout season

Seahawks DT Byron Murphy II tabbed for breakout season The Seattle Seahawks are expecting a developmental step forward from sophomore defensive tackle Byron Murphy II this year. Murphy looked effective when healthy, but an injury derailed a sizable portion of his rookie campaign. The No. 16 overall selection in the 2024 NFL draft is now entering a big second season. Pro Football Focus recently compiled a 2025 NFL All-Breakout Team. They selected one player at each position. Murphy was their choice at defensive tackle. "Many thought that Mike Macdonald had found his white whale out west when the Seahawks drafted Murphy 16th overall in 2024," Bradley Locker wrote. "After one year, that hasn't looked like the case, but it isn't time to panic yet. In Year 1, the former Texas star earned just a 57.8 overall PFF grade with a 64.5 PFF pass-rushing grade. Murphy also played only 457 snaps in 14 games, ceding time to Leonard Williams and Jarran Reed — each of whom returns to the team in 2025." A deeper dive into the analytics reveals Murphy was more effective than meets the eye. "There are still a bevy of reasons to get excited about Murphy, including his 70.0 PFF pass-rushing grade on true pass sets, 10% pass-rush win rate and 76th percentile run stop rate," Locker continued. "Macdonald helped Nnamdi Madubuike break out in earnest during the 2023 season, which was Macdonald's second in Baltimore. Perhaps Murphy will follow a similar arc and become a true disruptor along Seattle's interior in his second season." Murphy flashed pass-rushing upside in spurts as a rookie. A healthy, more mature sophomore version should be an effective defender in 2025. Mike Macdonald and his defensive staff will attempt to continue developing Murphy this season.

Eagles biggest reason for optimism shouldn't come as a surprise
Eagles biggest reason for optimism shouldn't come as a surprise

USA Today

time14 minutes ago

  • USA Today

Eagles biggest reason for optimism shouldn't come as a surprise

Eagles biggest reason for optimism shouldn't come as a surprise PFF reveals the Eagles' biggest reason for optimism, and it shouldn't catch anyone off guard. For just the fifth time in their 93-year history, the Philadelphia Eagles will enter the regular season as the defending champions. Three titles preceded the 1966 NFL/AFL merger (1948, 1949, 1960). They've added two Vince Lombardi Trophies to the shelf after winning Super Bowl 52 and 59. These young Birds fans certainly haven't gotten spoiled, haven't they? Most don't know the anguish of enduring Leonard Tose. They don't remember Bryce Paup shredding Randall Cunningham's knee. Three consecutive NFC Championship Games are foreign, and so is a depressing Fog Bowl. Young Eagles fans never had to endure seeing Reggie White leave, and you know what? The older guard ought to be thankful that they didn't. It would be cruel to wish that type of pain on anyone. This is one of the best eras of football this organization has seen, and there's still reason for more optimism. Pro Football Focus would undoubtedly agree with that last point. They recently offered a refreshing take, 'One reason for optimism for every team ahead of the 2025 NFL season'. As we know, Philadelphia has several, but it's hard to argue with the answer that PFF provided. How about a round of applause for the Eagles' loaded roster? There's plenty of content to wade through following Eagles OTAs and their single-day minicamp. Thank Dalton Wasserman for providing a nice distraction as we take a break before training camp begins in July. Philadelphia tacked an extension on the end of Saquon Barkley's current deal. Most of their young roster is locked up for the foreseeable future. They have young stars on an excellent defense. All are great reasons why Wasserman lists a 'stacked roster's return as cause for Birds fans to rest easy and smile broadly. Here's his explanation. "Philadelphia ran roughshod through the NFL last season en route to its second Super Bowl victory. This year's edition of the Eagles is poised to defend their title, returning 20 of their 25 players who led the team in snaps last season. Their defense, which paced the NFL in PFF grade last season, took most of the damage but returns stars such as Jalen Carter, Zack Baun, Quinyon Mitchell, and Cooper DeJean. The Eagles boast the best roster in the NFL heading into this season." This isn't the first time we've heard praise heaped on the Eagles' talent. The kudos are well deserved. Let's do some brief inventory. Their quarterback is the reigning Super Bowl MVP, and despite losing his first appearance in the big game, he has outplayed Patrick Mahomes on the big stage twice. Barkley is the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year. Philadelphia has the game's best one-two punch at wide receiver. They're also home to the game's best offensive line and a defense that is young and hungry, one led by one of the game's top defensive minds. Their owner is phenomenal. Howie Roseman is the best in the business. The fan support is otherworldly. One can certainly do a lot worse than being an Eagles fan. This season, Philadelphia tackles one of pro football's most demanding and challenging schedules, but they are armed well enough to handle the task of what will be a gauntlet. They return six Pro Bowlers (they should have had more). They return six All-Pros. Make no mistake. They'll be up to the challenge.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store