News Article
Published
Oct 23, 2026 at 02:35 PM EDT
Caleb Williams steered the Chicago Bears to a 30-24 victory over the New England Patriots on "Thursday Night Football." After the big primetime win, the burgeoning star quarterback took Richard Sherman to task for past analysis.
In his second game back from a hamstring injury, Williams completed 22 of 33 passes for 308 yards and two touchdowns. The Bears improved to 5-2, giving them the NFC's third-best record despite trailing the undefeated Minnesota Vikings in the NFC North standings.
Williams joined the Amazon Prime Video studio show for a post-game on-field interview. The 24-year-old wondered if pundits like Sherman will give the Bears more respect after the win.
"Hopefully to the fans, they feel my energy. And hopefully we can get in your top five," Williams said, motioning to Sherman.
Sherman hardly seemed bothered by the jab. The former star cornerback pounded the desk and laughed before remarking that Williams must watch his podcast. Williams confirmed that he's paying attention to what everyone says.
"I see it all," Williams responded.
However, Sherman later noted on social media that Williams apparently didn't see him move the Bears up to No. 5 in his power rankings earlier this week. They trailed the San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, and Vikings entering Week 7.
"Haha I’m ahead of him," Sherman said when posting a graphic of his top five. "Released two days ago."
Sherman shouldn't be faulted for placing the Bears lower after a 31-7 loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 5. While the offense stumbled without Williams, the defense also allowed an alarming 7.3 yards per play at Lambeau Field.
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Yet Williams has since returned to orchestrate back-to-back victories over the Atlanta Falcons and Patriots. The former No. 1 pick has taken a huge step forward in his third season, completing 71% of his passes for 1,020 yards, five touchdowns, one interception, and a 105.6 quarterback rating in four games.
A healthy Williams may put the Bears among the NFL's premier teams. Anyone crafting power rankings may now think twice about slighting them for fear of the quarterback's scorn.