Being an NFL athlete involves much more than showing up and performing on Sundays. We are not just talking about practice and other things that are part of their daily regimen. The PR meetings and business ventures, which build a player’s brand, are just as important as their spot on the roster these days.
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And public perception is everything. That’s why Caleb Williams has made the decision to partner with Stephanie Jones, the longtime publicist behind the image of the game’s greatest signal-caller, Tom Brady.
Jones played a pivotal role in the production of both the Brady-centered TV mini-series, Man in the Arena, and Netflix’s The Roast of Tom Brady. She’s also the head of JonesWork, a strategy-driven marketing and management agency that has partnered with several celebrity athletes, including Russell Wilson and Venus Williams.
After the new partnership, the Chicago Bears’ quarterback was featured in an exclusive interview with Esquire magazine. He did admit that the team’s losing streak was bad enough to cause him to “drop some tears”. However, the article largely focused on depicting him as a fashionable, international traveler who sports a “burgeoning business empire” and an introspective demeanor for someone his age.
Williams’ public image has taken a beating for the better part of the last three years. Before he had even entered the NFL, many were already turned off by the fact that he was painting his nails pink prior to games at USC.
Once he was in the pros, after getting drafted in 2024, things only seemed to get worse. A lackluster rookie season that involved his head coach being fired halfway through has left the fans bitter.
With his completion percentage and passing success rate well below the league average, those who weren’t put off by his questionable persona were certainly disturbed by his uninspiring play. To make it worse, he threw his former coach, Matt Eberflus, under the bus when asked about the team’s Week 8 loss to the Washington Commanders last season.
“How [Eberflus] handled it at that time, for that game, was, I think, one of the things that throughout the locker room people talked about and were annoyed by,” Williams told Esquire.
His public perception is at an all-time low right now. So, for all of the success that Jones has had in helping to manage the careers of quarterbacks, the upcoming 2025 regular season will likely prove to be a challenge for her and Williams.
While Chicago will certainly have to do a better job at protecting their quarterback, much of the burden will continue to fall on Williams’ shoulders. He arguably has the most room for improvement out of any other player on the offense.
Should Williams manage to improve his decision-making on Sundays, then there should be little room for concern.
Should things continue to get worse, then at least he’ll be in the hands of a company that managed to be recognized by the Observer for being one of the top 50 PR firms in the nation.
