When Caleb Williams fell to the turf and screamed in agony, you could hear a pin drop in Soldier Field. When Williams was being helped off the field and then carted off, while emotionally distressed, everyone thought that the Chicago Bears' season was over.
Thankfully, that wasn't the case. Williams avoided a major hamstring injury, which has him "week-to-week," per head coach Ben Johnson, and it paves the way for a return in the near future as Chicago's franchise quarterback managed the best-case scenario. But while Bears fans were celebrating the news and thanking the Chicago-born Pope, there were some trolls taking shots at Williams for his in-the-moment reaction during Sunday's game.
When it was revealed that it wasn't a serious injury, some
people -- be it the casual fan or NFL talking heads -- opted to question Williams' toughness after his emotional response to being carted off with a hamstring injury. The same Caleb Williams who was sacked 68 times his rookie season. The same Caleb Williams who has taken big hits in his first two NFL seasons but didn't get a roughing call until Year 3. The same Caleb Williams who has always bounced back even with the biggest of hits.
The one good thing to come out of the trolling responses was some good defense for Williams response, which celebrated his toughness and leadership and offered empathy for his in-the-moment reaction when everyone, including Williams, expected the worst.
NFL world defends Caleb Williams' reaction to hamstring injury
Nobody understands how much a guy like Caleb loves the game, his team and the city that calls him theirs. When you go down and you know you’re INJURED there is a certain intensity of emotion that hits you. All of your immediate goals and plans are derailed: that causes emotion. https://t.co/A4vRQ3JKyj
— kyle (@Ky1eLong) September 21, 2026
For those who view Caleb Williams as “soft”, even grade 1 strains can be painful. And sometimes a player’s response is more out of frustration or fear rather than severity of injury.
— Jeff Mueller, PT, DPT (@jmthrivept) September 21, 2026
If you truly work on and care for athletes, you’d understand the empathy involved. https://t.co/GqEjNDZnL2
For the people making fun of Caleb for "crying over a hamstring"
— Brett Kollmann (@BrettKollmann) September 21, 2026
He wasn't crying because his leg hurt, he was crying because he didn't know if he was going to be out for any length of time and he hates not being out there. That's why most of the guys who are crying on a cart… https://t.co/zqujKLqIyp
I don't know how you can watch all the hits Caleb Williams has taken over his NFL career — and I've seen every single one — and come to the conclusion that he's anything other than a tough SOB.
— Patrick Finley (@patrickfinley) September 21, 2026
Caleb Williams is a hell of a competitor, and the emotion after his injury seemed to be a reflection of that, a player fearing he wouldn't be there for his team. It's why teammates truly swear by him as a leader. The rest is just noise and doesn't matter.
— Chris Emma (@ChrisEmma1) September 21, 2026
"People are freaking out: "He cried, he screamed" When you're as generationally gifted as Caleb - you're not carrying a team, you're carrying a league. Emote!"@colincowherd on the criticism of Caleb Williams getting emotional after his injury pic.twitter.com/WFahwHKF4Z
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) September 21, 2026
In 25 years in sports talk one of my biggest GRINDS MY GEARS thing is people getting mad at players for being injured. And now this one, for how they reacted pic.twitter.com/uCdgEQtuZZ
— Tony Reali (@TonyReali) September 21, 2026
I tore my hamstring off the bone and it hurt less than my grade 1 strain of the same hamstring.
— Jake (@Parry_FF) September 21, 2026
Not every injury/reaction is the same https://t.co/kildlphEqe
I've spent the last week showing you every inch of my emotions on the air and even off the air.
— Greg Braggs Jr. (@GBraggsJr23) September 21, 2026
Vulnerability should be CELEBRATED!
Who cares if he was emotional. Emotions are what makes us HUMAN.
Jimmy V - Live, laugh, think, cry.
Everyday. That's a good day.…
Jay Cutler got killed for not being upset enough about an injury and Caleb Williams is getting killed for being too upset about an injury.
— Brendan Sugrue (@BrendanSugrue) September 21, 2026
I can't believe we're doing this again.
Here’s a clip of Gronk’s injury in 2015 that ended up being a Grade 1 knee strain.
— jack (@jack_bfr) September 21, 2026
He pounded the ground, rolled around, and yelled for 2 minutes. He only missed ONE game.
This was your reaction, @stoolpresidente. https://t.co/Vz30ZmuYbd pic.twitter.com/wDlrQKENZA
You played football and think they were bout to let the franchise quarterback WALK off the field, down the tunnel, and to the locker room with a pulled hamstring in the rain. Just tweeted this for likes and retweets https://t.co/hBLwR1yAPK
— Quan (@QuanDBtalk) September 21, 2026
Caleb Williams is so performative and soft! How could he not know the second that he felt a non-contact injury to the largest muscle in his leg in sloppy rainy conditions that it was a Grade 1 posterolateral hamstring musculotendinous unit strain? F- leadership!
— Jeremy (@JeromeyR0me) September 21, 2026
The Caleb Williams “soft” takes are hilarious.
— Bears Facts (@DaBearsTakeOver) September 21, 2026
He injured the same hamstring on a 59 yard run in the Pac-12 Championship and refused to leave the game. His next game?
He broke the Cotton Bowl Record by going 37/52, 472 yards, and 5 TDs
Question whatever, Caleb’s toughness…
I think the thing we are missing regarding Caleb Williams reaction to the injury yesterday is his love for winning, the city, and football.
— Dave (@davebftv) September 21, 2026
A Grade 1 hamstring can cause sharp pain early on. Caleb didn’t know the severity, so the thought of the season going out the window and…
Caleb Williams is the face of the franchise for the Chicago Bears… he probably thought his season was over so you can only imagine the disappointment.
— Caleb Williams Fan Club (@CalebFC18) September 21, 2026
You should also know that no 2 injuries are the exact same. As a former player, I expected better from you.
And referencing… https://t.co/5vOqbjcwtW
For anyone calling Caleb Williams soft please respectfully stfu
— Ben DiNucci (@B_DiNucci6) September 21, 2026
You have no idea the training and preparation these guys put their bodies through to be able to go out there every weekend and be at their best
The raw emotion is coming from a place of uncertainty that…
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: NFL world comes to Bears QB Caleb Williams' defense after injury
