Already known for making headlines for all the wrong reasons, Caleb Williams once again stirred attention with a bold statement this Thursday. During his field-side interview with Kay Adams, the rookie QB named Aaron Rodgers and Matthew Stafford as his No. 1 and 2 QBs, respectively, snubbing the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, and several others. However, analyst Nick Wright has a theory as to why.
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On ‘First Thing Fast,’ the Kansas City native asserted that the Bears QB did the right thing by not showering praise on the Chiefs’ No. 15 quarterback.
Wright wholeheartedly believes that Williams chose those QBs as his inspirations because they are close to retirement, which is true for both Stafford and Rodgers. While Rodgers is the oldest active quarterback in the league, Stafford has already flirted with retirement.
For the analyst, it’s almost impossible for Caleb to shower praise on a young quarterback like Mahomes, especially since he is about to compete against him for the next decade for the Super Bowl. Wright said:
“Because he understands that it’s going to be him and Patrick competing for league supremacy, probably in multiple Super Bowls over the next 10 years. So he doesn’t want to pay him any complements. He doesn’t want to lay any flowers at Patrick’s feet, so instead he lays them at the feet of guys who are near the end.”
Arguably, from Caleb’s standpoint, he’s playing it smart by not leaving any chances that could give an advantage to QBs like Mahomes, while also avoiding demotivating his own locker room.
Earlier, Wright compared this scenario to college basketball star Cooper Flagg, who is unlikely to say that Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards is “amazing.” “He’s going to talk about Steph and Durant because those guys are going to be on their way out,” Wright argued, further outlining the rookie mentality behind these choices.
That said, aside from this unspoken rivalry, the 22-year-old Williams had already shown his confidence in Rodgers in the past, naming him the NFL GOAT.
When Williams named Rodgers as the GOAT, not Brady
Speaking to CBS Sports in March 2024, the former USC Trojans star expressed his admiration for Rodgers, though he didn’t forget about the undisputed GOAT for many, Tom Brady.
When it comes to ‘football, winning, and the mentality,’ Caleb dubbed the seven-time Super Bowl champion the GOAT. However, the rookie noted that, for him, it’s always Rodgers. He explained:
“Football, winning, and things like that, mentality, [it’s] Tom Brady. My football GOAT is Aaron Rodgers.”
With 475 touchdowns (5th all-time in his career), and an impressive 59,055 yards, Rodgers is already a top ten greatest all-time quarterback. Most notably, his one and only Super Bowl win came after beating the Bears in the NFC Championship during the 2010 season.
The Jets’ QB boasts an impressive 24-5 win-loss record against the Bears. However, Caleb, an NFC North QB, is unlikely to face his hero Rodgers often, as Rodgers nears the end of his career and now plays as an AFC East quarterback in the Big Apple.
