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Before even taking a snap in the NFL, Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams has already become one of the league’s most polarizing players.
Williams’ playmaking is undeniable, which is why the Bears selected him with No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. But his attitude and demeanor off the field rub some the wrong way, even when he’s seemingly doing something positive.
Former NFL wide receiver Amani Toomer had some harsh words for Williams over a report stating the rookie asked his teammates to take better care of the Bears locker room.
NFL Vets Argue Over Caleb Williams Asking Teammates To Clean Locker Room
“First thing he said was, ‘Hey, man, we’re all grown men here, right?'” teammate Kevin Byard said. “He was like ‘We’re getting a little too sloppy. We’re leaving water bottles, towels and all types of things around. Custodians have a lot of square footage that they have to cover in this whole building. Let’s try to help them out by cleaning up after ourselves.’
Toomer didn’t take kindly to this.
“He’s Russell Wilson 2.0. This is not gonna go over well,” he claimed. “…Some rookie’s gonna come in who hasn’t played one snap, talking, wearing the fingernail polish, now he’s gonna come in here and tell me, who has been here, been through the struggle, that I need to clean up?
“No, how about you rookie? How about you clean up after me? Don’t give me this crap. I don’t like it at all. I feel like rookies should earn their respect. Just because you got drafted number one doesn’t mean nothing to me.”
But LaVar Arrington, a former teammate of Toomer and a three-time Pro Bowler, didn’t see things the same way.
“The standard that you hold for yourself should be the standard that is held by others that are in this locker room,” Arrington said as part of a lengthy discussion on the matter on Fox Sports Radio. “…I thought it was a great message. I thought it was a great story, because there has been mixed feelings on Caleb Williams and what people think about him.”
The Bears organization has been a disaster for several years now. So someone like Williams coming in and changing the culture is a long-time coming. Hopefully for Chicago fans, that translates to success on the field as well.