ESPN analyst and former NFL star quarterback Troy Aikman was left concerned for a ‘defeated’ Caleb Williams on Monday night amid the Bears’ latest loss.
Williams, whose Chicago team fell to the Vikings for their eighth straight defeat, was seen slumped over on the bench at one point during the contest following a hard hit to his ribs.
And while former Cowboys passer Aikman pointed out that Williams was in an ‘enormous amount of pain,’ he also saw potential psychological issues in the No. 1 overall pick.
‘As I watch him, you can tell that he’s a defeated guy,’ Aikman said. ‘I mentioned that he hasn’t been through anything like this at any point in his career. What you worry about is a rookie quarterback losing confidence.’
Williams was pedestrian on Monday, as he completed 58 percent of his passes for 191 yards and a touchdown.
His numbers over the full season also paint a mixed picture, as he’s tossed 17 touchdowns against just five interceptions, though he’s also taken a league-leading 58 sacks.
Troy Aikman described Caleb Williams as looking ‘defeated’ as he slumped on the bench
ESPN commentator Aikman pointed out that Williams hasn’t dealt with much losing
Williams did appear to be in actual pain on the bench after a huge hit to the ribs
Nonetheless, as Aikman pointed out, Williams is unfamiliar with this type of losing.
He went 23-10 as a starter in college for Oklahoma and USC and led his high school to a district championship.
Aikman provided some perspective, however, amid the latest Bears’ loss which knocked the team to a 4-11 record.
‘I was 0-11 as a starter and he’s had a much better rookie season than I had,’ Aikman said.
Aikman’s comments came as Williams was seen lying on the Bears bench after a brutal hit from the Vikings’ Jihad Ward in the fourth quarter.
The footage of Williams slumped over on the bench led to criticism from former player and Fox Sports analyst Emmanuel Acho – who said it ‘doesn’t look good’ for the passer – but fans pointed out that he was likely dealing with physical pain.
Monday Night Football viewers were also concerned for Aikman himself, as his eyes appeared to be bloodshot during the broadcast.
It’s at least the third time that the Pro Football Hall of Famer has sparked fears with his appearance on TV this year.
