Caleb Williams claps back at critics of leadership style ahead of rookie year

On the field, Caleb Williams built plenty of hype as he became the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. But his leadership off the field is drawing some attention, especially after the premiere of Hard Knocks earlier this week.

One of the fiercest criticisms came from former New York Giants receiver Amani Toomer, who called Williams out after Kevin Byard said the rookie asked his teammates to keep the locker room cleaner. Toomer called Williams “Russell Wilson 2.0″ and questioned why the Bears’ veterans would listen to him since he still hasn’t taken a snap.

Speaking with FanDuel’s Kay Adams on Thursday, Williams responded. He said while he hears the noise, his focus remains on those in the building and the locker room.

“I’m gonna choose my words wisely,” Williams said on Up and Adams. “I could give two – you probably know the next word. I don’t really care about the outside people.

“It only matters about the people in the building. The people around every day, my family, my support staff, my support system of my family and all of them. Other than them and the people in the building, have fun, get all your clicks that you need and have at it.”

Williams arrives in the NFL with plenty of expectations after going No. 1 overall in the draft. For Bears fans, the hope is he’s the franchise quarterback they’ve been waiting a long time to see, to say the least. His teammates continue to rave about his leadership, though, as the former USC star gets ready for his preseason debut on Saturday.

In the digital age, it’s hard to avoid some of the noise on social media, though. Williams admitted he sees what people say, especially about his leadership style so early in his career, but he doesn’t dwell on it. He keeps his eye on the task at hand.

“I see it,” Williams said. “People always act like they don’t see it, but I see it and it doesn’t phase me because I know who I am and I know who we are. I know what we’re working towards. We’re ready to go.”

Caleb Williams and the Bears will surely be in the spotlight throughout the season with such high expectations. That won’t slow down as long as Hard Knocks follows the team during training camp. Williams’ first opportunity on the NFL stage will be Saturday against Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills.