Caleb Williams Has More To Prove Than Any Other QB, Dan Orlovsky Says, But He's Wrong

Dan Orlovsky, bless his heart, is one of the best football analysts on ESPN, no question. But he's human and when he tells us Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams has more to prove than Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, he has simply lost his touch with logic.

Orlovsky made his point about Williams and Lawrence recently when he ranked the top five quarterbacks with the most to prove in the 2025 NFL season.

Orlovsky Omits Sam Darnold From Prove-It List

And let's cut to the chase about Orlovsky's list of quarterbacks with most to prove:

1. Caleb Williams
2. Trevor Lawrence
3. J.J. McCarthy
4. Bryce Young
5. Anthony Richardson

That's a good list, although, honestly, I would have considered Sam Darnold higher than Richardson or Young because he signed a $100.5 million contract and was handed the keys to the Seattle Seahawks offense after a season in which he played like a star for 16 games …

…And then played like the Sam Darnold we've known since 2018 the final two games of the season, including in a playoff loss in the wildcard round. 

So prove it to us, Sam. Are you $100.5-million good or did you just hit a nice 16-game streak that was a mirage?

The fate of the Seahawks lies in the answer.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. - Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) passes the ball during training camp at Halas Hall on July 23, 2025. Photo: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Williams Shoulders Biggest QB Burden

That's not the point here.

The point is, Orlovsky believes Williams has more to prove than Lawrence. And what that means is that in the pundit's mind:

Williams has more pressure on him than Lawrence.

Lawrence has proven himself more than Williams.

And indeed every quarterback in the NFL has proven himself more than Williams.

Williams has already disagreed with Orlovsky's opinion. But there is no denying Williams is unproven. His rookie year didn't exactly translate to everyone in Chicago believing he's the franchise savior that the No. 1 overall selection is ultimately supposed to be.

But that's one year. That's the rookie year for Williams, in which his coaching was less than stellar to the point he had to fend for himself sometimes in watching tape.

Williams delivered a rookie season in which he threw 20 TDs and 6 interceptions in 17 starts. Despite playing behind arguably the NFL's worst pass protection, which led to him getting sacked a league-high 68 times, Williams still threw for 3,541 yards.

Williams also posted an 87.8 quarterback rating. As a rookie.

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) warms up during an NFL training camp session at the Miller Electric Center August 5, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]

Compare all that to Lawrence, who in his fourth NFL season, regressed from his previous season, which was also regression from the previous season.

So Lawrence has been playing worse than the previous year in which he played worse than the previous year.

Lawrence's best year came in 2022 when he threw 25 TDs and 8 interceptions and helped get the Jaguars to the playoffs.

Two years after Lawrence delivered his best season, he got a five-year, $275 million deal with $142 million in guarantees. The deal pays Lawrence $55 million per season on an annual basis, making him tied with Jordan Love as the NFL's highest-paid player on an annual average basis. 

But Orlovsky sees Williams, coming off his rookie year and still on his rookie contract, needing to prove more than the guy making more than Williams in one year than the entire worth of Williams' $39 million contract.

Is this real life?

"He's got a lot of pressure on him," Orlovsky said of Lawrence. "But there's one guy that's got more pressure than anybody in the NFL – Caleb Williams.

LAS VEGAS - ESPN football analyst Dan Orlovsky looks on during warmups before a game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on December 16, 2024. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

"You were also the guy. The Golden Child, the unbelievable athlete, the next Patrick Mahomes. But you've also got the best offensive line in football the past five, six, seven seasons. A rebuilt offensive line. Plenty of dudes to throw the football to, a first round draft pick at tight end.

"It is go time for Caleb Williams. You have to go out and show that you are the talent, the player and the future of the organization, for a team and a place that desperately has been begging for it."

And that makes Williams different than Lawrence how?

Oh, yes, in that Williams gets to start a year – his second in the NFL – in which most NFL players make a major leap. And that's compared to a player who had that leap season in 2022 and then regressed the next two years while also getting a Brinks truck contract in the process.

Trevor Lawrence is the quarterback with the most to prove in the NFL in 2025.