Amid the excitement of the 2025 NFL season kicking off, Caleb Williams recently found unexpected support from a division rival. Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown publicly defended Williams against the constant criticism that has followed him since entering the league.

On his podcast, St. Brown didn’t hold back when describing the pressure surrounding the young Bears quarterback.

“I feel like they'd be on his d*** 24/7. He can't do sh** right like no matter what he does, good or bad. It's all on Twitter. Like they, I saw he can't breathe like there's one dude in the NFL is him, like not one step wrong. It's like, oh, Caleb did this, this, this, like, bro, I can't just let him be. I feel bad. I was like, bro,” he said according to Ari Meirov X post. The receiver made it clear that the coverage of Williams has been excessive and that the level of scrutiny is unlike what other players experience.

Williams has been at the center of endless offseason debates, from questions about his preseason usage to trivial details such as the socks he wears. St. Brown remarked that it often feels as if Williams is the only player in the league who can’t make a single mistake without it becoming a headline. He added that he feels bad for the quarterback because the criticism rarely lets up.

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Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze also joined the show and agreed with the comments. He said he has noticed how narratives around Williams often turn into stories that don’t reflect reality.

“I don't know. Y'all tell me like, you're the ones out there creating all the stories, like, and all this different stuff. So I don't know. It comes to a point. Like, it don't even come down to like, keep it football because all the football stuff they talk about be false too,” Odunze said when asked about the negative chatter.

Both players noted that much of the outside noise isn’t even about Williams’ on-field performance. Whether it’s his personality, leadership style, or other off-field topics, the quarterback continues to draw criticism. Odunze emphasized that many of those conversations are simply false narratives.

With the regular season now beginning, Williams will finally have the chance to shift the conversation back to football. The Bears open their campaign against the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football, giving the No. 1 overall pick a stage to focus on the game and let his performance speak for itself.