Bear Digest

Caleb Williams vs. Justin Fields: War of the Words

Alan Goldsher

Bears quarterback Caleb Williams charms the Chicago press
Bears quarterback Caleb Williams charms the Chicago press / Photo: Chicago Bears video
In this story:

You can’t win an NFL press conference.

Sure, you can make a brilliant point or two. And sure, you can put your foot smack-dab into your mouth. But you don’t score points for being a genius, nor do you lose points for being a train wreck.

Nonetheless, football-watchers will quantify a media avail, especially during the quiet part of the rarely-quiet NFL news cycle.

Which was exactly the case this week.

Caleb Hath Spoken

On Monday at Halas Hall in Lake Forest, Illinois, the Chicago Bears trotted out some of their stars to meet with the press, the starriest being quarterback Caleb Williams.

As is usually the case, Williams was cheerful and optimistic, giving effusive props to first-year head coach Ben Johnson, GM Ryan Poles, and his newly-acquired teammates.

Some bon mots from the sophomore signal-caller:

  • "Everybody loves a challenge in this sport. It's one of the great things about this sport. Every day is a challenge and today we got our first one."
  • "I think us growing together is key.  [Ben Johnson] pushing me is key. I know that and he knows that. I can't wait [for him] to be able to help me learn more about ball—because he's super smart, super sharp—and grow and progress in those ways."
  • "Being able to be in this position, being able to have a first year the way I did, ups and downs, and then to be able come in here, be as confident as I was last year or possibly even more and to be able to get here with the group that we have, I really can't wait to get to work with these guys.”
  • "We're all really excited and we can't wait to put in the work…working out, lifting, getting stronger, faster. It's also us hanging out in the offseason, building that bond, so that when times do get tough, we fight through it, we get through it, we keep going as a team."

Good stuff all around. But how does it compare to what his Windy City predecessor had to say in his first gab-fest in the Big Apple?

Fields Forever

As a member of the Chicago Bears, in terms of dealing with the press, quarterback Justin Fields wasn’t quite as bubbly as Williams, but he was always accessible and chatty. He had a tendency to gravitate towards cliches, something he most definitely didn't do during his first meeting with the New York media as a Jet.

Fields was periodically (and uncharacteristically) cranky at his opening presser, kvetching about what happened last season during his one-year tenure in Pittsburgh, and what might happen this season in the Meadowlands.

Quoth Justin…

  • "[Getting benched last year in Pittsburgh] was different for me and a space I wasn't really comfortable. But Coach Tomlin made a decision he thought was best for the team. I'm never going to go against that. I just tried to change my perspective and get better in practice."
  • "You can’t take things personal [sic]. At the end of the day, I was just excited about what the Jets had going on here. If didn’t have anything to do with Pittsburgh but the opportunity I had here to make an impact.”
  • "I don't really like to answer rhetorical questions [about the Jets potentially drafting another quarterback]. I'm willing to teach, but I'm not really interested in rhetorical questions"
  • “I've always been a team player. I've always been advocating putting myself behind the team. I'm not going to get too much in-depth on what was happening in Chicago or what happened last year in Pittsburgh.”

And the Press Conference Winner Is…

The Bears and the Jets seem to be headed in opposite directions, with Chicago being touted as a team on the rise, and New York being touted, per usual, as a dysfunctional mess.

Only time will tell if their quarterbacks’ demeanors will impact Chicago's and New York's respective records, but based on Williams’ and Fields’ opening statements, the Bears have the edge.

Even though you can’t win a press conference.

Published |Modified
Alan Goldsher
ALAN GOLDSHER

Alan Goldsher has written about sports for Sports Illustrated, ESPN, Apple, Playboy, NFL.com, and NBA.com, and he’s the creator of the Chicago Sports Stuff Substack. He’s the bestselling author of 15 books, and the founder/CEO of Gold Note Records. Alan lives in Chicago, where he writes, makes music, and consumes and creates way too much Bears content. You can visit him at http://www.AlanGoldsher.com and http://x.com/AlanGoldsher.

Home/News