Bear Digest

Caleb Williams Fires Back at Critics on Maxx Crosby's Podcast

Caleb Williams addressed criticism about painting his nails on The Rush podcast. Here’s why his mindset matters for the Bears in 2026.
Bryan Perez|
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) runs onto the field during player introductions.
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) runs onto the field during player introductions. | David Banks-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams has never cared about fitting in. And he made that crystal clear on the latest episode of The Rush podcast with Maxx Crosby.

At the 56-minute mart of the episode, Williams adddressed the long-running noise surrounding his painted nails, something critics have latched onto since his college days.

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"It's just gel on my nails. People feel a certain way about it in a masculine sport, and I give no f--ks to be honest with you," Williams said. "I could care less. I'm gonna keep doing it, it's unique to me."

It's safe to say Williams is comfortable in his own skin.

And if you watched Williams develop into the Bears' franchise quarterback in 2025, it's a mindset that shouldn't surprise you. Williams has faced criticism at every step of his NFL journey, from pre-draft debates to early rookie growing pains. Through it all, he's always maintained the kind of confidence that's reserved for the NFL's best QBs.

Williams certainly will need every bit of that confidence in Chicago, a place where quarterbacks are dissected more than any other in the NFL. Every incompletion becomes a headline, and Williams knows it.

And he's fine with it.

By the end of the 2025 season, Williams established himself as arguably the Bears' best quarterback since Jim McMahon. And if McMahon didn't have that one Lombardi Trophy, Williams would've already lapped him, too.

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His growth under Ben Johnson has been remarkable, and his late-game composure resulted in some of the NFL's most memorable moments of 2025. Simply put, Williams delivered when it mattered most, and it's because of that that his cosmetic choices have become an afterthought.

Chicago has long craved a quarterback who can handle pressure without flinching. Williams is doing all that and more.

If anything, the nail-painting conversation now says more about the critics than it does about Caleb Williams. The only thing that Bears fans care about is winning games, and 2025 produced more wins and more breathtaking moments than any in recent history.

Keep painting those nails, Caleb.

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Bryan Perez
BRYAN PEREZ

Bryan Perez founded and operated Bears Talk, a Chicago sports blog. Prior to that, he covered the Bears for USA Today’s Bears Wire and NBC Sports Chicago. In addition to his Chicago Bears coverage, Perez is a respected member of NFL Draft media and was a past winner of The Huddle's Mock Draft competition. Bryan's past life includes time as a Northeast scout for the CFL's Ottawa Redblacks.

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