{"id":216486,"date":"2025-10-16T00:24:19","date_gmt":"2025-10-16T00:24:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/216486\/"},"modified":"2025-10-16T00:24:19","modified_gmt":"2025-10-16T00:24:19","slug":"bears-caleb-williams-could-care-less-about-outside-criticism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/216486\/","title":{"rendered":"Bears’ Caleb Williams ‘could care less’ about outside criticism"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Courtney CroninOct 16, 2025, 10:19 AM<\/p>\n

Close<\/a>Courtney Cronin joined ESPN in 2017, originally covering the Minnesota Vikings before switching to the Chicago Bears in 2022. Courtney is a frequent panelist on Around the Horn and host of Best Week Ever and GameNight on ESPN Radio. She also co-hosts The Chicago Bears Podcast on ESPN 1000. She previously worked at the San Jose Mercury News as a multimedia sports journalist.<\/p>\n

LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Bears<\/a> quarterback Caleb Williams<\/a> on Wednesday said he “could care less” about commentary about his play following Chicago’s victory on “Monday Night Football.”<\/p>\n

“People are going to say what they have to say,” Williams said after the Bears extended their win streak to three games after a second straight come-from-behind victory<\/a> against the Washington Commanders<\/a>. “We win, we lose; people have stuff to say. It was lucky, it was not lucky; people have stuff to say. Have a bad game, have a good game; people have stuff to say.<\/p>\n

“It doesn’t matter. We’re only worried about what’s going on here within this building and with these guys. That’s all I can say about that.”<\/p>\n

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Williams on Wednesday was questioned about how his performance was characterized as being “off” during ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” broadcast. Analyst Troy Aikman said Williams needed to do a better job of where he was throwing the ball to his receivers to allow them to gain more yards after the catch.<\/p>\n

As the Bears rallied from an eight-point deficit in the fourth quarter, Williams threw a short pass to D’Andre Swift<\/a>, who went 55 yards for a touchdown to cut Washington’s lead to two. Of the play, Aikman said that Commanders safety Quan Martin<\/a> missed a tackle, which led to Swift being as open as he was, and that receiver DJ Moore<\/a> pushed cornerback Marshon Lattimore<\/a> into Martin, who was supposed to be covering Swift.<\/p>\n

“Just some luck on Chicago’s part,” Aikman said on the broadcast. “It really wasn’t so much intended to be a pick [play], but it turned into that based on how it was defended.”<\/p>\n

Williams, saying he was “messing around,” poked fun at Aikman’s characterization of the touchdown in an Instagram post Tuesday.<\/p>\n

“Nations Cap, good being back!” Williams’ caption said<\/a>. “It was lucky” -TA. Whooptie Doo [laughing emojis].”<\/p>\n

“D’Andre made a great play and obviously [Aikman] had some stuff to say about us or me and, I mean, we came out victorious in the end,” Williams said Wednesday. “Made a little fun moment of it. That was about it.”<\/p>\n

Caleb Williams threw for 252 yards and accounted for two TDs against the Commanders while leading the Bears to their second straight come-from-behind victory to extend their win streak to three.\u00a0Photo by Michael Owens\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Bears coach Ben Johnson told team broadcaster Jeff Joniak that he caught a portion of the broadcast Tuesday morning while his children watched the second half of the game while getting ready for school.<\/p>\n

“It sounded like from that game the other night, a few people weren’t particularly pleased with how we are winning right now,” Johnson said. “But listen, in this league, any way you can find a way to win is a big deal.”<\/p>\n

When later asked whether Aikman’s tone surprised him, Johnson said, “Maybe I just had it on mute.”<\/p>\n

“We need to go earn that respect from not only the rest of the teams in the NFL, but everybody,” Johnson said. “Everyone is going to have their own opinion on us as a team and each player, each coach individually. You do your best to block the outside noise. We know what we’re building here. We’re starting to believe in each other. The more time that we get together, I feel that. I feel it building, and I think that’s the most important thing.<\/p>\n

“Ultimately, you do want the respect of your peers — in particular, the people you’re working with — and I think that trickles outside the building as well with how you compete and what you put on the tape as well. So, yeah, that’s a good thing. But at the same time, we’re more concerned about what we’re doing on a daily basis and what we’re doing for each other.”<\/p>\n

Williams anticipated that the perceived criticisms of his game would be used as motivation going forward.<\/p>\n

“When you’re in a competitive situation like Coach is, or myself, or other teammates, when people have stuff to say about you, whether it’s that week or a whole year or whatever the case may be, I think you do use it as a little bit of fuel, as a little bit of motivation,” Williams said. “I think that’s always a part of it as a competitor. … But you don’t put too much into it to where it affects you negatively.”<\/p>\n