Caleb vs. Jayden? It’s deeper than that for the Bears and Commanders.

For most NFL regimes, being successful comes down to one pivotal question: Can they get it right at quarterback?

The Washington Commanders and Chicago Bears took their shot at answering that franchise-altering prompt in the 2024 draft. The Bears picked Caleb Williams first overall, and the Commanders followed by taking Jayden Daniels.

The quarterbacks — who will face off for the second time Monday night at Northwest Stadium — will be compared throughout their careers. But as much as their individual performances matter, what is equally as important is how their teams build around them — particularly while they’re still on their rookie contracts, before they’re eligible to sign lucrative extensions in the 2027 off-season.

Following a miserable 5-12 season, the Bears went all in on building around Williams. They hired offensive whiz Ben Johnson as their coach to try to correct some of Williams’s issues from a rocky rookie season. And General Manager Ryan Poles continued investing in a roster that could support him.

While the Commanders didn’t need as much of an overhaul coming off a remarkable season in which Daniels was named offensive rookie of the year and Washington reached the NFC championship game, Coach Dan Quinn and General Manager Adam Peters still made a series of notable changes to the roster.

In many ways, the philosophies instilled by the Commanders (3-2) and Bears (2-2) aligned. Their “Monday Night Football” clash will provide a barometer of which franchise has done a better job of executing its vision.

Building through the trenches

The Commanders and Bears have prioritized their offensive and defensive lines, but they have done it in different ways. Chicago has spent big on both sides, while Washington has used a more mixed approach.

Offensively, the Commanders’ biggest move was trading several draft picks to the Houston Texans for left tackle Laremy Tunsil in March. They also signed center Tyler Biadasz to a three-year, $30 million contract in 2024 and spent a first-round pick on right tackle Josh Conerly Jr. this off-season.

Beyond that, they have been more conservative. They signed guards Andrew Wylie and Nick Allegretti, defensive ends Dorance Armstrong and Deatrich Wise Jr., and outside linebacker Von Miler to team-friendly deals, and they splurged a bit on defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw (three years, $45 million).

The Commanders rank just 18th in offensive line salary cap hit this season and have the fourth-lowest edge rusher cap hit, according to Spotrac. They rank eighth in defensive tackle cap hit, but that’s largely from defensive tackle Daron Payne’s $26.17 million cap hit from an extension he signed in 2023.

The Commanders’ offensive line has been one of the NFL’s best after a bumpy start. Meanwhile, the defensive line has helped Washington rank in the top 10 in both sacks and yards per carry allowed.

The Bears spent heavy on veterans this past off-season. On offense, they signed center Drew Dalman to a three-year, $42 million deal and traded for guards Jonah Jackson and Joe Thuney. Defensively, they signed defensive tackle Grady Jarrett to a three-year, $42.75 million deal and defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo for three years and $48 million.

Chicago ranks sixth in offensive line cap hit and ninth in edge rusher cap hit. The Bears have the eighth-lowest defensive tackle cap hit, but it’s worth noting that starter Gervon Dexter Sr. is still on his rookie deal.

The results haven’t panned out thus far, beyond pass protection. The Bears’ rushing offense, pass rush and rushing defense are among the worst in the NFL.

Loading up on offensive weapons

It’s a common refrain that there’s no such thing as having too many weapons. Few teams embody that more than the Bears.

After having already made commitments to running back D’Andre Swift, tight end Cole Kmet and receivers DJ Moore and Rome Odunze (the No. 9 pick of the 2024 draft), the Bears continued to give Williams options. They drafted tight end Colston Loveland 10th overall this year and wide receiver Luther Burden III at No. 39. That’s a lot of resources to ensure Williams has talent around him.

The Bears are fifth in running back cap hit, fifth in wide receiver cap hit and eighth in tight end cap hit. Overall, they’re fifth in offensive cap hit.

The Commanders have been more measured. They traded a fifth-round draft pick to the San Francisco 49ers for wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. in March — and then guaranteed his $17 million base salary for this season. After a lengthy stalemate, they signed star wideout Terry McLaurin to a three-year, $96 million extension.

They rank ninth in wide receiver cap hit but are just 21st at running back and 14th at tight end. Overall, they’re 21st in offensive cap hit. A lot of their additions have been cost-effective moves, such as signing tight end Zach Ertz to a modest deal and drafting wide receiver Luke McCaffrey in the third round, fellow wide receiver Jaylin Lane in the fourth round and running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt in the seventh round.

Injuries have made it tough to fully evaluate the Commanders’ offense — Daniels, McLaurin, right guard Sam Cosmi (knee) and wide receiver Noah Brown (groin/knee) have missed multiple games — but they’re still averaging 26.8 points (eighth) and 6.0 yards per play (seventh). Though the Bears are spending far more, their results haven’t been as good. They are averaging 25.3 points (11th) and 5.3 yards per play (20th).

Struggling to solve pass coverage woes

In November, the Commanders traded multiple draft picks to the New Orleans Saints for cornerback Marshon Lattimore. That has been a big swing and a miss thus far as the four-time Pro Bowl pick has struggled.

Rookie cornerback Trey Amos and second-year nickelback Mike Sainristil — both second-round picks — have been positive additions, but the overall play of the secondary is still lagging. Additionally, teams have been picking on 35-year-old linebacker Bobby Wagner in coverage after the Commanders resigned him on a one-year, $9 million deal.

Washington has enjoyed the run defense boost it expected when it added Wagner and Frankie Luvu (three years, $31 million) last year, but the coverage woes can’t be ignored. The Commanders are allowing a completion rate of just 64.1% (ninth) but are giving up 8.2 yards per pass (28th).

Meanwhile, Poles handpicked all of the Bears’ starting linebackers, cornerbacks and safeties, so there’s no room to pass off blame for their leaky pass coverage. Chicago is giving up a completion rate of 73.7% (31st) and 7.8 yards per pass (27th). Cornerback Jaylon Johnson, the team’s highest-paid defensive back, is still recovering from September core muscle surgery.

As it stands, this is a weakness for both teams despite each spending a lot of money on their back sevens. The Commanders are first in linebacker cap hit, third in cornerback cap hit and 17th in safety cap hit. The Bears are third in linebacker cap hit, fourth in cornerback cap hit and 11th in safety cap hit.

Looking ahead

The largest concern looming over the Commanders is age. They have the oldest roster in the NFL. To find sustained success, Washington eventually will need to get younger.

That could come through more aggressive free agent moves. According to Over the Cap, they are projected to have more than $84 million in salary cap space next off-season.

The most practical way for the Commanders to push the roster to the next level is finding more hits in the draft. Daniels is a no-doubt hit and Croskey-Merritt, Conerly, Amos and Sainristil have shown promise, but it’s too soon to evaluate just how well Peters has done in his two drafts.

The Bears don’t have an age problem, but their roster is further behind. The offense has been underwhelming but has shown reason for optimism the past few weeks. Still, the defense has been awful and is surrendering 29.3 points per game (28th).

Since Chicago has been more willing to shell out big-money deals, it will be short on cap space. Roster moves can change the calculus, but Over the Cap projects the Bears are set to have just under $3 million in cap space next off-season. Working around that will require them to build through the draft even more than the Commanders.

That makes Poles’ seat hot. This is his fourth year on the job, whereas Johnson is in his first season as coach and Peters and Quinn are in Year 2 of remaking Washington.

Even if the Commanders have a disappointing year, Peters and Quinn have built up enough goodwill to roll into a third season together without question. Nevertheless, there is pressure on them to win big.

“We want that to look like that all the time,” Quinn said Monday, a day after the Commanders’ Week 5 win at the Los Angeles Chargers. “Our attitude, our effort, the way we play and when we’re that connected, we’re a problem. And we’re going to continue to work hard at that and really protect that.”