In what was supposed to be the biggest game of his young career, Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams made a brutal mistake. And somehow got bailed out by the defender who intercepted him.
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Midway through the second quarter of the wild-card matchup, Williams tried to push the ball downfield on fourth-and-6 from the Bears’ 40-yard line. The problem? There were no Bears receivers anywhere near the throw. Only one player occupied the area: Packers cornerback Carrington Valentine, who happily hauled in the pass.
It was an ugly interception for the former No. 1 overall pick, who appeared completely out of sync with wide receiver Luther Burden. Whether Burden quit on the route or the two simply weren’t on the same page, the result was the same: a pass delivered directly to the defense with Green Bay already holding a 7–3 lead. But the real twist came after the interception.
Because it was the fourth down, the Packers would have taken over at midfield had the ball fallen incomplete. Instead, Valentine returned the pick all the way back to his own 13-yard line, effectively turning a turnover into what amounted to a solid punt for Chicago.
As Valentine sprinted downfield, he completed with an exaggerated “Naruto run” celebration. The internet immediately noticed that no teammates were rushing over to congratulate him.
Social media reactions poured in: “Just lost massive amounts of yards catching that INT.” “Valentine was very confused when no one wanted to celebrate with him.” “Why TF did he catch it???????” “Dumb decision. Just let it hit the ground,” was what most of the reactions from fans sounded like. “I think he has money on the Packers,” another commented.
Carrington Valentine picks off deep shot from Caleb Williams on fourth down, but it cost the Packers field position. It was fourth-and-6 at the 40.
Now, the Packers start at their 13. Basically a decent punt by the Bears.
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) January 11, 2026
While the interception will go down in the stat sheet, it was a rare case where a defender actually helped the offense by making a play. Instead of starting near midfield, Green Bay was suddenly backed up deep in its own territory.
Williams’ mistake was glaring, but Valentine’s decision ensured the Bears avoided the worst possible outcome, turning one of the strangest interceptions of the NFL playoffs into a viral moment for all the wrong reasons.
