"You're allowed to think": John Middlekauff makes feelings known on Caleb Williams handling Bears criticism

Caleb Williams has been in the spotlight over the past few days. It started when reports started surfacing about the troubles he faced during his rookie campaign with the Chicago Bears. The quarterback's dad opened up about his son's ordeal during an interview with Seth Wickersham, the author of American Kings: The Biography of a Quarterback.

One of the reports that took the spotlight was that Caleb Williams was interested in playing for the Minnesota Vikings, which led to the quarterback receiving a backlash and criticism from fans. However, John Middlekauf praised Williams for the way he handled the situation.

On Friday's episode of 3&Out, Middlekauf said that Caleb Williams wasn't wrong in having his own thoughts and also praised the rookie for taking care of the situation like a veteran.

"I don't blame him for having those thoughts," Middlekauf said. "You're allowed to think whatever you want to think. .... His dad, who by all accounts is a successful businessman, had some strong beliefs. No one, including the Bears fan, pushed back against his throughts that like, this is a place where quarterback go to die.

"Are we sure (Matt) Eberflus is good enough? ... No, he's not. ... But Caleb Williams could have easily taken that mic, and listen, he didn't talk last week. His prerogative. Don't really blame him. Young guy, a lot of emotions. Give me a week. ... And you know what he did? He handled it like a 10-year vet."

On Wednesday, the rookie quarterback opened up about reports of him wanting to play for the Vikings. Williams didn't deny being excited to play in Minnesota yet clarified that it was because the Vikings were his first NFL team visit but that he was happy going No. 1 overall to the Bears in the end.

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Bears HC Ben Johnson addresses Caleb Williams-Vikings rumors

After a disappointing 2024 campaign, the Bears fired coach Matt Eberflus and brought in Ben Johnson as his replacement.

On May 15, on Colin Cowherd's podcast, Johnson responded to rumors surrounding his quarterback and Williams' initial interest in playing for the Vikings.

"I don't know what's going on prior to him joining the organization, but he is very proud to be a Chicago Bear," Johnson said. " That's what our conversations have included. And he's really excited to get to work right now and be the best version of himself for 2025."

Ben Johnson also made a bold claim that Caleb Williams will be the first quarterback in franchise history to record 4000 passing yards in a season. Only time will tell if the changes to the coaching staff prove beneficial for the Bears this upcoming season.