The Bears‘ rookie QB is the proud owner of multiple Porsche Taycan electric cars, both red and black, naturally. These aren’t your average eco-friendly rides. The Taycan lineup, indeed, starts around $101,000. Moreover, it can easily soar to $230,000 depending on the spec. It’s speed with silence, luxury with edge. But there’s something about QBs and their love for speed. A few days after Shedeur Sanders clocked 100mph in a 60 mph zone, Caleb Williams is taking it one step up.

On June 28, he tweeted, “F1 movie is top 3 for me EVER. Bucket list: learn how to drive an F1 car!!” The endorsement for the latest Brad Pitt-starrer was fine. Adrenaline, control, and chaos management come naturally to Caleb Williams. That’s football. That’s F1. But in Chicago, that quote also hits a nerve, because the city has seen what happens when bucket-list thrill meets real-life risk.

Jay Williams should’ve been a Chicago legend. The Bulls took him No. 2 overall in the 2002 NBA Draft. Duke star, silky-smooth guard, supposed savior in the post-Jordan era. But in June 2003, he wrecked his Yamaha R6 motorcycle while speeding through the streets of Chicago. He wasn’t wearing a helmet. Worse, his contract explicitly prohibited motorcycle riding. The crash severed a main artery in his left leg, fractured his pelvis, and tore several ligaments. He endured 10 surgeries, but never played in the NBA again.

It’s not just a basketball thing. The NFL’s got its own cautionary tale. Jerome Brown, a dominant Pro Bowl defensive tackle for the Eagles, had just cemented himself as one of the league’s best. But on June 25, 1992, he was driving his Chevrolet Corvette in his hometown of Brooksville, Florida, when he lost control on a rain-slicked curve. The car slammed into a palm tree. His 12-year-old nephew was riding with him. Both died on impact.

So yeah, when Caleb Williams talks about strapping into a Formula 1 rocket and punching it down a straightaway, some ears perk up, not out of judgment, but out of lived history.

Fans caution Caleb Williams against his bucket list

The fans couldn’t just ignore the tweet. They had to step in to give some advice. The Bears haven’t given a 4-year $39 million deal to lose him like that. He is their face and the franchise carrier. One fan fired off the warning shot, “Please do not. NFL players have not had a good track record lately with fast cars.” And you can’t blame them for sounding the alarm.

The ghosts of Jay Williams and Jerome Brown loom large. You don’t joke about risk when your city just got its first glimmer of hope under center in forever. Another follower played it cooler, but the message was the same, “After yo football career mane…. 😂 Risk them injuries after we get some SB’s 🏆.” The laugh softened the blow, but the ask was crystal clear. Bring titles first, chase speed later.

Caleb signed a fully guaranteed four-year deal worth nearly $39 million, and for fans in Chicago, that means he’s not just a player, he’s an investment. A long-term one. Then there was the fan who poured his heart out. “Please wait until you are retired from football (after 24 seasons playing exclusively for the Bears and winning 8+ Super Bowls) to scratch that F1 itch. Until then, please keep it under the speed limit and drive something big and safe. We need you healthy!” It speaks to how badly this fanbase wants Caleb to be the guy.

A different reply cut straight to the core of Bears fandom, “Dude. Pump the brakes. Need you for the next 12 years.” Caleb isn’t just a quarterback. He’s the quarterback. The one who’s supposed to end decades of futility and usher in an era of stability and success. But the quote that truly captured the fanbase’s tone was short, loud, and final.

“You are allowed nowhere near an F1 car.” Right now, they don’t want the highlight-reel dreams. They want durability and want Caleb Williams at Soldier Field, not in Monaco. Dreams are good and fuel great quarterbacks. But in this city, where one Williams crashed and burned, and where echoes of lost legends still linger, some dreams hit just a little differently.