Sophia Siok
Chief Web Editor
Two weeks ago, late in the fourth quarter of the Bears-Viking matchup, Caleb Williams slid, hurt his hamstring, banged the turf with his fists, and was later carted off the field. After this, a clip of him went viral – he covered his face with a towel, and eventually pulled it away showing his eyes, red from crying. The folks over at barstool, namely Dave Portnoy, called him a “thespian,” insinuating that Williams is less of a football player because of his reaction. Former Washington Commanders linebacker wrote:
Hundreds of football fans took to Twitter to give their own opinion on Williams’ injury or to use the image of him being carted off as a meme comparing it to their minor injuries or inconveniences, like missing a parlay or sleeping on an uncomfortable couch, to his own.
Injuries are common in football – but why is Williams’ going viral? Why is he facing criticism about this one?
To some, this reaction showed that Williams isn’t tough. Despite the fact that as a rookie, Williams was sacked 68 times, the third most in NFL history, and did not miss a single game. To some, the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner is not tough because he does not fit in the traditional understanding of what a professional football player should look like. People saw that the 2024 first round draft pick painted his nails and wasn’t afraid to show his emotions, and so that must mean that he isn’t tough.
At his core, Williams is an emotional player. He isn’t shy about showing it on the field. When things go his way, you can see his excitement, and when they don’t you can see his frustration. But emotion isn’t new to the NFL: screaming after tackles, touchdown celebrations, it’s what so many people love about the sport.
As a lifelong Chicago Bears fan, I understand the emotion. The last time we saw a shot at the Superbowl was in 2007 – nearly 20 years ago. This is the first year in a long time that I have seen the city of Chicago with as much hope as it has now – and a lot of that falls onto Williams’ shoulders. Williams is a city favorite, he is THE GUY. Last year, he came to Chicago and he outperformed what anyone thought was possible. In just a year, Williams, with the help of Ben Johnson’s coaching, transformed the team from a 5-12 record in 2024, to a 11-6 record in 2025.
So why shouldn’t Caleb Williams cry? Williams had a clear shot to the end zone. In 10 more yards, the Chicago Bears would have won the game, giving them a 2-0 lead into week three. Now, Williams is facing a grade 2 hamstring pull that is putting him out of play for 3-8 weeks, which could mean nearly half of the season, greatly shifting the Bears’ odds at Super Bowl LXI.
Williams didn’t cry because he was “soft” or because he couldn’t face an injury, he cried and screamed because he just faced an injury that meant his body wouldn’t function the way he wanted it to. It was a cry of frustration, of passion, of his love for the sport.
So maybe the better question to ask isn’t why Caleb Williams cried, it’s why are we so uncomfortable when he does?
Featured Image Courtesy of The Chicago Sun Times
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