Bear Digest

Maxx Crosby's surprising comments on Caleb Williams debunk narrative

After Caleb Williams paid tribute to Maxx Crosby, the Raiders' one-man wrecking crew had something to say about the Chicago Bears QB that ran contrary to popular belief.
Gene Chamberlain|
In a scene repeated several times Sunday, Caleb Williams tries to elude Maxx Crosby to pass.
In a scene repeated several times Sunday, Caleb Williams tries to elude Maxx Crosby to pass. | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

Caleb Williams is earning high praise as a sort of exchange of respect with someone he gave some to on Sunday.

After Sunday's 25-24 win over the Raiders, Williams was describing the job his blockers did against the Raiders' one-man wrecking crew, Maxx Crosby.

"I think the guys did a great job, to be honest," Williams said. "They got a hell of a player over there. He's probably the best player that I've ever played against so far in my career. They got a hell of a player.

"So, understanding that coming into the game, trying to get the ball out as fast as possible, get it to my guys. I think I can do a better job of that early in the game, getting everybody in rhythm. That's a part of it, but at the end of the day, that's what happened. We got some guys in there that it's their first time playing and suiting up, especially versus a guy like that, and they did a hell of a job. I'm proud of the guys, especially the way we fought."

Crosby had an interception and forced fumble, and Pro Football Focus gave him five pressures while Stathead/Pro Football Reference called it three pressures.

Crosby does a podcast called "The Rush with Maxx Crosby," and on it he paid Williams right back with a compliment.

"All day we were going back and forth. He's a competitor, bro. I've got to give it to him.  He didn't back down. He kept getting back up and trying to make plays."
Maxx Crosby on Caleb Williams

"Hearing that from a really good player is cool," Crosby said about the respect he received from Williams. "Our matchup was, it was, I mean, all day ... all day we were going back and forth.

"All day we were going back and forth. He's a competitor, bro. I've got to give it to him.  He didn't back down. He kept getting back up and trying to make plays. Yeah, he is a competitor, and he is hard to tackle. You know what I mean? He makes plays happen."

It doesn't seem to play into the narrative of Williams being a soft, nail-painting, crying, spoiled player like some tried to claim when he came out of college.

The comeback Williams staged Sunday was much like some of those he did last year.

However, most of those games ended in losses when the Bears managed to get a field goal blocked, give up an overtime field goal, swallow their last timeout and, of course, infamously give up a Hail Mary touchdown.

Without those 2024 disasters that fell on someone else's shoulders, the narrative about Williams would already be as the competitor Crosby found him to be Sunday.

The rest of the league might already be talking that way, as well.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.