Ryan Clark calls out Caleb Williams doubters on ESPN

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, the Chicago Bears have gone farther than even more fans would’ve predicted this season, winning a playoff game AND doing it against their oldest rivals, the Green Bay Packers, last week.

That still hasn’t stopped pundits from predicting the Bears’ eventual demise this postseason, though. Just because it wasn’t Jordan Love and the Packers last week doesn’t mean it won’t be Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams this week, right? Truthfully, that’s understandable: the Rams have been one of the NFL’s best teams all year and have been legitimate Super Bowl contenders from the start—something no one would’ve accused the Bears of being after starting off 0-2.

But that hasn’t stopped Chicago from finding ways to shock the world repeatedly or claw their way back into games people thought they had no business being in, and a lot of the credit for their resilience, especially their seven comeback wins this year, must go to their dynamic young quarterback Caleb Williams.

And his play specifically has former NFL defensive back Ryan Clark wondering when more people are finally going to buy into the idea that the Bears just could win it all right now.

Not sure what Caleb Williams has to do to prove himself to some people, but I’ve seen enough. 7 fourth quarter comebacks and fell just short on two others!

Question was will you be surprised if he outplays Matthew Stafford, & my answer is absolutely not. Matthew is one of them… pic.twitter.com/jrCov66Psn
— Ryan Clark (@Realrclark25) January 16, 2026

“When are we going to stop doubting Caleb Williams?” He asked on ESPN’s First Take on Friday morning. “When are we going to stop questioning Caleb Williams? When he has his eight fourth-quarter comeback? … I mean, this man was on the cusp of becoming the first and only 4,000-yard passer in Chicago Bears history.

“And let’s not just talk about Caleb Williams’ ability to create. You want to talk about a reel of the 10 best passes from Matthew Stafford (versus) the 10 best passes from Caleb Williams, and I promise you, if you put them up side by side, it ain’t gonna be a lot of difference between the talent of the two.”

If we’re talking talent, it’s hard to argue that.

Both were No. 1 overall picks, and Stafford’s ability to make any throw on the field was well-documented going back to his prime days with the Detroit Lions. Even now, Stafford’s probably got a top-five arm in the league, and that was after concerns a few years ago about whether he’d ever be the same again after going through elbow issues.

Williams is simply different, though. Because not only does Williams have a truly elite arm, as we’ve seen a lot over the last few weeks, but his athleticism at the quarterback position is unique. That Packers 4th-and-8 throw— being able to generate that level of velocity with both feet off the ground—is something Stafford has probably never even thought of attempting. (Keep in mind: Stafford is also currently 37 years old.)

Beyond that, though: it’s not as if the Rams have a juggernaut of a defense, especially right now.

Their defensive front is very good, but their secondary has been getting exposed of late. After all, they did just get cooked something awful by Bryce Young, Tetairoa McMillan, and Jalen Coker last week and by the Atlanta Falcons late in the season, as Clark pointed out, If they can do that, why can’t Williams, DJ Moore, Luther Burden III, and Colston Loveland do it to the Rams?

But just in general: everyone who’s been waiting for Williams to flop has been left on read for the last month plus. Even when he’s started slow, he’s come roaring back to steal the show as he did last week. So everyone’s been waiting to say “I told you so” on Williams and the Bears has had to leave the tweets in the drafts until the next opportunity.

At this point, it might be time to delete them. Because the Bears have already proved they belong, and Williams has already shown he’s a superstar in the making. If the haters don’t let it go in time, they’re might have to hold those tweets all the way ‘til next season, if you know what I mean.

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Even Ben Johnson is awed by Caleb Williams’ season-saving throw