Caleb Williams stole the show in his final reunion with classmate Drake Maye

On Thursday night, Maye and Williams met for the second time and for the first time since they both became stars at the highest level. The Bears won by defeating the Patriots, 30-24, in prime time at Soldier Field. Williams stole the show, throwing for 308 yards and two touchdowns in the victory, while Maye had 321 yards and two scores, albeit with a costly second-quarter interception in the end zone.

Currently, Williams and Maye have a strong case as the best quarterbacks in their class. While Daniels took Washington to an NFC title game in his rookie season, he has since been hampered by injuries and the Commanders are 1-4-1. Maye has already appeared in the Super Bowl as a second-team All-Pro and MVP finalist, while Williams leads a contending Chicago team, entering Thursday night with a league-best 72.5 percent completion rate, a year after taking the Bears to the NFC divisional round.

If each continues on their trajectory, it’s fair to wonder how the future will view their respective draft slots. Perhaps no class of quarterbacks is more famous than 1983, when a half-dozen were selected in the first round, including a trio of Hall of Famers in John Elway (No. 1), Jim Kelly (No. 14) and Dan Marino (No. 27). With each of them joining AFC teams and staying there throughout their careers, there were plenty of points of comparison.

Marino was the better statistical player, but lost to Kelly three times in the playoffs, including in the 1992 AFC Championship Game. Marino reached only one Super Bowl, losing in a 1984 campaign in which he earned MVP honors with 5,084 yards and 48 touchdown passes (both records at the time), while Kelly reached four consecutive Super Bowls from 1990 to 1993, only to lose them all. As for Elway, he appeared in five Super Bowls with the Broncos. After losing the first three decisively, he broke through with back-to-back rings in 1997 and 1998 to end his career.

Looking back, it’s debatable whether Elway or Marino should have been first off the board, but it’s laughable that Marino and Kelly had to wait until Todd Blackledge was picked by the Chiefs. It’s equally incredible that Marino sat while Tony Eason and Ken O’Brien went to the Patriots and Jets, respectively.

Back to the present, Maye and Williams have chances to improve their reputations and resumes this season.

After a brutal start with a touchdown and six interceptions, Maye has since rallied with 12 touchdowns and two picks to move New England to 4-3 and second place in the AFC East behind the Bills. Williams missed three games with a hamstring injury, but has been great when healthy. In Week 1, he led Chicago to a 59-point outburst against the Panthers. Last weekend, he went 30 of 36 for 305 yards and a touchdown in a win over the Falcons.

In a year with few elite teams and the preseason Super Bowl favorites in the Rams sitting at 2-4 and riddled with injuries, the Patriots and Bears have legitimate Super Bowl aspirations. As is often the case, neither will get there without top-tier quarterback play, something each franchise believes their guy is capable of based on draft spot and early returns.

As the season heads toward Halloween, New England is fighting to improve its playoff position, while Chicago aims to chase down the undefeated Vikings for the NFC North lead. If both quarterbacks continue to produce at the level they have in recent weeks, there is no reason why both outcomes cannot be achieved.

There is a long way to go this season. There’s an even longer road ahead for how long Williams and Maye will be in their NFL careers.

Thursday night saw the duo face off for the first time as star quarterbacks. Perhaps their next clash will take place on a much bigger stage.

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