Caleb Williams sees it all, and he isn’t hiding behind burner accounts either. He’ll gladly tell you, smiling. The Chicago Bears quarterback may be petty, but the only difference between him and Michael Jordan is that Williams grew up in the social media age.
The haters can call it petty all they want, or say Williams is too online, but the Bears’ star quarterback is showing the same qualities that made Jordan a god in Chicago. The drive and determination have been apparent on the field, as the third-year QB is excelling in Ben Johnson’s offense in year two of their partnership. He’s doing it all, still making explosive plays in and out of the pocket, but the biggest difference so far in the 2026 season is that Williams is taking what the defense gives him.
After his second straight 300-yard passing performance in Thursday’s 30-24 win over the Patriots, Williams is now second in the NFL with a 71% completion percentage.
As Bears fans, we’re also getting to the stage where Williams will get criticized for anything he does because, sadly, as a society, we love tearing everyone around us down. So even if Williams proves himself on the field, we’ll keep seeing the haters pile on, but that’s actually what’s fueled him all this time.
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Before his return against the Atlanta Falcons, Williams lashed out at the media, and while his wrath may have been misdirected at some local reporters, he was well within his rights to fight back against the bullshit narratives being spread about him nationally following the hamstring injury that sidelined him for three games.
And like Jordan, Williams doesn’t back down from adversity. He doesn’t shy away from the pressure or the responsibility of being the team leader, the one everyone depends on; Williams knows he is the guy. He wants to be the greatest of all time; he has the killer instinct, and in this day and age, where anyone can spout off, and everyone’s thoughts are a click or tap away, Williams eats it all up.
Barstool Sports owner Dave Portnoy was one of the buffoons taking shots at Williams after he went down against the Minnesota Vikings, and before this week’s matchup against the Patriots, the Boston-based media mogul was stirring things up again. Williams took note, and after beating New England, the Bears’ QB made a point of singling out Portnoy on Instagram.
But that’s nothing new. Williams has gone back at Portnoy on social media, either through direct acknowledgment or that post on Friday. What makes the comps to Jordan stronger is that Williams is now exaggerating, almost inventing hate out of thin air to use for motivation.
Williams was on the Prime postgame show following Thursday night’s win, and he had another viral moment, this time involving Richard Sherman.
“That time off just added a little bit more to me. You know, and I’m gonna keep using, I’m gonna keep bringing that energy, that fire in my eyes. You know, I’m gonna release it to, you know, to my teammates, and hopefully, to the fans; they feel my energy. And hopefully we can get in your top five.”
Williams, smiling ear to ear, looked right at Sherman when he made that comment about getting into your top five. The Super Bowl champion and five-time pro bowler joked that Williams watches his podcast.
It’s no joke for Williams, though, because he won’t back down from anyone. He sees it all.
Funny thing is, before Thursday night’s game at Soldier Field, Sherman ranked his top five NFL teams, and the Bears were on his list, as he also predicted a Chicago win over New England.
Huh, who else would exaggerate or invent slights to stoke their own fire?
You can call it petty all you want. Maybe you think Caleb Williams is too worried about what people say, or that he spends too much time on social media, but if that’s what he needs to get motivated, then more power to him.
We finally have a star quarterback. A guy who has been preparing to become an NFL quarterback since he was 10-years-old. He has the ultimate hyper-competitive gene that all the greats have. He hates losing as much as he enjoys winning. He welcomes the hate. He wants the shit-talking. He wants to be the greatest of all time.
Caleb Williams isn’t a moody teenager. He’s following in the footsteps of Chicago’s greatest athlete.
