Former and Current Players Defend Caleb Williams Amid Mocking of Injury Reaction

The memes and jokes about Caleb Williams' hamstring injury have now entered their third day, as surprising as that is. The debate about whether Williams' in-the-moment reaction to what amounted to a very minor injury was appropriate or not has heated to a boiling point, and now former and current players are wading in to defend Williams, even starting beef with podcasters who are attacking Williams.

Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby took time on the Tuesday edition of The Rush Podcast to defend Williams, saying, "I've had a hammy thing a while back, and that [injury] will freak you the [heck] out when it happens... In his head, you'd probably imagine [he's thinking] something really bad just happened."

Former player Leonard Fournette, appearing on the 4th and South Podcast, went so far as to call out Emmanuel Acho of the Speakeasy podcast for taking shots at Williams. "[Acho] said [stuff] for clickbait," Fournette said. "How can you say that, bro? Nobody wants to be hurt... I tore my hamstring and that [injury] is painful. Emmanuel Acho, stop clickbaiting."

Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams is helped off the field with an apparent injury. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Fournette had much more to say to Acho about his ridiculous comments, including a profanity-laced challenge to fight him, but you get the point. Acho responded on his own podcast, but he didn't even offer a half-hearted defense of what he said. Instead, he simply insulted Fournette, which tells you all you need to know.

Even non-NFL players have gotten involved, which speaks to just how far-reaching this issue is. Former NBA player Eddie Johnson sent a tweet from his X account, calling out Acho for his cowardly attack on Williams, saying, "He is crying because he worked hard all off season to get ready for a year that could be great and you have a problem with it? Maybe you should go back and check your love of the game... Acho, you obviously didn't love the game enough."

Caleb Williams was thinking about the bigger picture, not just himself

I understand that we live in the age of memes and social media, and I'm not trying to be the crotchety old man yelling at the youths for their fun. But I fear the plot has been lost and this entire debate is worn out. Here are the facts: near the end of a frustrating divisional game, Caleb Williams had a good chance of taking the lead and closing out a win. Instead, he felt a sudden, sharp pain in his leg and collapsed.

Yes, we found out the next day that Williams and the Chicago Bears avoided a significant issue. But Williams could not have known that in the moment. At the time of the injury, all Williams knew was that, near the end of a winnable game in a year in which the Bears are expected to be Super Bowl contenders, a year in which he's hoping to earn a life-changing amount of money on his next contract, he suddenly couldn't put any weight on one of his legs.

The most natural human reaction in that moment is to shout out both your pain and your frustration. To use the lingo of the kids these days, it's really not that deep. As for the brouhaha about Williams being carted off the field, obviously he didn't request a cart. The team wisely decided to not have their franchise quarterback walk on an injured leg across a soggy, sloppy, rain-soaked field.

The Bottom Line

I hope that this is the last time we have to talk about this social media dust-up. There are newer, more pressing concerns for the Bears, like Tyson Bagent's sudden injury status that now leaves even his availability for Week 3 in doubt. You'd think a former player like Emmanuel Acho would know better than to question a player's toughness in the first moments after an injury, but I suppose he'd rather play role of internet tough guy behind his mic.

At the end of the day, the Bears are moving forward, and so should the fans. We know Williams will be back soon, and you can bet your bottom dollar that he's keeping all the receipts from the last few days in mind the next time he takes the field.

Sign Up For the Bears Daily Digest - OnSI’s Free Chicago Bears Newsletter

Add us as a preferred source on Google