Being on the Madden 27 cover was a childhood dream for the Caleb Williams. And because he got this much-awaited opportunity, he was going to make sure this was the best reflection of him. With a downward gaze, hands in the classic ‘Iceman’ pose, and a decked-up set of nails, the Chicago Bears QB hit the brief smoothly.

Louisiana rapper Boosie Badazz, however, thought it was not a good look.

“Fingernails painted on Madden. Young boys look up to you, bro, smh n Caleb Williams, this is the example u set for them,” he wrote on Instagram. u want respect from your teammates n your hands look like they b-h nails at home smh whoever thought u would see this on a Madden cover. I feel sorry for these kids.”

While Lil Boosie’s statement about Williams went viral on social media, the Bears QB1 has never allowed this negative reaction to affect him and his self-expression. The QB has painted his nails many times in the past to keep honoring his mother, who has been a professional nail technician his entire life.

Williams sported a special NFL-themed nail-art planned for this shoot. He had a Chicago flag, the Chicago Bears’ “C,” and the NFL shield alongside a silhouette of legendary head coach and the videogame’s namesake, John Madden.

Reflecting on this opportunity, Williams also praised EA and Madden for allowing him to express himself.

“That’s what’s cool about Madden and EA and the cast that we had there. They wanted me to be myself… they wanted that energy,” Williams said during an interview with PEOPLE magazine. “We want you to be you, we want you to do as you do. We want you to wear what you wear on game day, we want you to dress how you dress, we want you to do this because we want it to be the most real version. It’s nice, it’s freeing — and obviously, they were a great staff to work with.”

Williams began painting his nails in the last year of high school and continued this practice through college and his two years in the league. He told PEOPLE that he looks for big opportunities to make a statement with nail art. Last September, he painted his nails on the occasion of suicide prevention week. He didn’t stop expressing himself then, and doesn’t plan on doing so now.

“I think it’s enjoyable to be able to see all the hate,” Williams added. “But also enjoyable to people who may now step outside their comfort zone… because somebody on a national stage is getting a bunch of heat … especially males, because I’m speaking from that perspective.”

Its quiet clear that the former first overall pick will continue painting his nails, despite any outside noise or criticism towards his action. Moreover, the support from the Chicago locker room should help him drown out the news.

Caleb Williams’ teammates express excitement about his Madden cover

With Caleb Williams being the first Chicago Bears player in history to grace the Madden cover, his teammates were overjoyed with this achievement for their QB1. As reported by The Athletic’s Dan Wiederer, cornerback Tyrique Stevenson and guard Jonah Jackson were particularly elated with Williams’ incredible accolade.

“It’s tough. I told him he has to sign mine. Definitely proud of him for that. I’m honored to be on a team with someone who is on the Madden cover,” said Stevenson.

Jackson added, “The caliber of player he is, the plays he made last year, the games he was able to help us win, it was a no-brainer who should have been on it.”

Interestingly enough, per a stat from OutSports, Chicago went 4-3 at the start of the season, and Williams had painted his nails in those games. He stopped afterward, and the Bears lost seven games consecutively.

Caleb Williams has become a player to watch out for, having already racked up more than 7,000 yards in just two seasons. His efforts helped the Chicago Bears break free of their playoff drought of five years and win their first playoff game in 15 years. He is quietly growing into a solid competitor, painted nails and all.