Many ridiculed Caleb Williams for reacting pretty animatedly after he injured himself in the Minnesota Vikings game, with what was initially believed to be a minor injury. However, Williams confirmed in a recent press conference that he actually tore his hamstring, and it was a “pretty serious” tear.
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Former cornerback Domonique Foxworth shared his honest thoughts on the Chicago Bears QB’s reaction.
“Obviously he was a bit offended by the way that we as the football-watching public kind of made fun of and laughed at the way that he reacted to what we heard was a grade one hamstring tear,” Domonique Foxworth said on The Dan Patrick Show. “That thing got torn off the bone! I don’t understand why you [wouldn’t] have said that the very next day. But if you’re not going to say it, then why bring up that everyone was wrong? … I can’t climb into his head.
“But I’m sure this is one of those things that as soon as he starts playing well again and his team starts playing well again, we’ll forget it. … If he doesn’t throw touchdowns, then we’ll pile on and say part of his problem is the personality that he brings to the locker room. It’s just a thing that we do, time in and time out, with all the great players, especially the ones that are not necessarily great players, but the popular players that have unique personality.”
Foxworth’s point was related to how Williams reacted to the injury during the Vikings game. He went down without contact, was helped off by medical staff, and was eventually taken to the locker room on a cart, with a towel covering his head. Before entering the tunnel, he raised his fist and gave a thumbs-up with tears in his eyes.
As popular as he may be in the Chicago community for his on-field production, people have also made fun of his personality on a similar level. While in college, he publicly cried after losing a game. And it wasn’t just sniffles; Williams’ body was shaking with sobs.
But the Bears QB isn’t apologizing for expressing what many think to be ‘too much’ for a player.
“I’m always going to show emotion, especially when I can’t be out there with the guys when something like that happens,” he said in the presser. “… I care, and that’s the biggest thing. This is what I love to do. This puts a smile on my face. It’s everything to me. So not being able to be out there was frustrating.”
Williams’ return is not officially confirmed yet. He said that he didn’t know if he was playing before anyone fielded the question on him.
“Have to go through a bunch of medical protocols, obviously have to get out there and practice, do the stress testing that you do when you’re trying to come back from injury or serious injury.”
The Bears quarterback has resumed full practice ahead of Sunday’s Week 6 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. The Bears listed him as questionable on Friday, leaving the final decision dependent on his recovery and medical evaluation.
Coach Ben Johnson said the team needed to see Williams handle consecutive practices and the physical demands of returning to full speed.
“He looked good yesterday for one practice, but we’ve got to be able to stack a few back-to-back. He got some good work in on Wednesday, even though we walked through. He went through his own throwing session beforehand part of the plan, and he’s on track right now.”
Williams added fuel to the comeback buzz with a social media update, changing his Instagram profile picture to John Wick and his bio to “I’m inevitable.” Fans took it as a confident hint that he could return.
For Chicago, the decision now comes down to whether Williams is ready to handle game speed without aggravating the injury. A strong return could quickly shift the conversation back to his play; if he struggles, the scrutiny around his personality may follow him onto the field.