If you haven’t guessed by now, Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams is much more than the casual smile he gives to the cameras. This is somebody who holds grudges. Williams doesn’t have a social media presence just because he’s starved for attention or needs it for business purposes. This is a guy who keeps receipts. Anybody who fires off criticism at him, he’ll be sure to save it as motivation to get even better. Williams thrives on being doubted. He feeds off that negativity like Bizarro Superman on kryptonite.
That goes for fellow players, too. One who appears to be on his list is fellow quarterback C.J. Stroud. The Houston Texans starter didn’t get off to a good start when he stated the Bears should keep starter Justin Fields over drafting Williams in 2024. Then he added insult to injury later that year when his Texans beat the Bears early in the regular season. Williams took seven sacks in the game, enduring a beating. After the final whistle, Stroud went to shake hands with him and insisted on giving him advice, which boiled down to ‘Don’t take so many hits.’
Everybody saw it as Stroud trying to “little brother” the rookie, and Williams’ reaction said a lot. It appears he hasn’t forgotten even two years later. His recent repost on TikTok suggests as much.
Caleb Williams certainly has reasons to feel disrespected.
After all, since that handshake moment in 2024, one quarterback has played much better football than the other, and it wasn’t Stroud. Williams has more passing yards, more rushing yards, more passing touchdowns, more rushing touchdowns, and fewer interceptions.
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| Statistic | Caleb Williams | C.J. Stroud |
|---|---|---|
| Passing Yards | 7,483 | 6,534 |
| Passing TDs | 47 | 37 |
| Interceptions | 13 | 20 |
| Rushing Yards | 877 | 442 |
| Rushing TDs | 3 | 1 |
If not for Houston’s outstanding defense, there is a strong likelihood the team would’ve missed the playoffs each of the past two seasons with Stroud playing the way he has. To say nothing of his wilting in big moments, with only two 4th quarter comebacks in three years and an 80.6 passer rating in the playoffs.
Caleb Williams had seven 4th quarter comebacks last season alone. The last one occurred in the playoffs after trailing 21-3. If you held a poll today on which was the superior quarterback, it’s a safe bet that Williams would get a solid majority of them. This is not to say what Stroud said back then was meant maliciously. He had no ill-will towards the Bears’ quarterback. However, his attempt at advice, especially after his comments before the draft, didn’t come across as genuine. After all, Stroud had only played one season. He wasn’t Aaron Rodgers. There wasn’t enough seniority or credibility to do that.
Williams is out to prove something this year.
Even after getting the Bears to the playoffs, many still question his viability as a starting quarterback. They see nothing but a gifted freelancer who still can’t learn how to play a more traditional style. His completion percentage proves it. He’ll never be one of the true greats in the league playing this way. All the while, it seems like this only fuels his fire further. Every comment is another drop of gasoline. That is why he showed up to OTAs and minicamps looking more focused and comfortable.
Williams doesn’t just want to win. He wants to show everybody that their criticism won’t work. It won’t discourage him or divert him from his primary goal. Ben Roethlisberger once told Mitch Trubisky that he must seize control of his career to be great. Ironically, it seems Williams is the one using that advice. Surpassing Stroud is one step in the process. Rather than be classy about it, the Bears QB chose to post a reminder that questioning him is never a good idea.
