Eleven games into the best season of his career, Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold is still taking some by surprise — including Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams.
Following Darnold’s 330-yard, two-touchdown performance that included an 83-yard scoring drive to clinch a 30-27 overtime win at Soldier Field on November 24, Williams spoke a little too candidly in his postgame news conference.
In his praise of Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell, who offered the Bears quarterback a few words of encouragement after the game, Williams inadvertently slighted Darnold, to many Vikings fans’ chagrin.
“Met [O’Connell] at the draft and all these different things, so when someone comes over to you, that’s having guys, Sam Darnold even, out there balling. He’s been a great coach so far, I believe, and those encouraging words are important,” Williams said.
Fans React to Caleb Williams’ ‘Backhanded Comment’ Toward Sam Darnold
Williams’ comment went viral on social media after the game, with both Bears and Vikings fans chiming in.
“Kind of disrespectful for him to frame it that way. Sam Darnold does have a legitimately high ceiling when he’s not turning the ball over,” one fan wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “He’s not a dink and dunk guy, and he played a better game then Caleb.”
Another Vikings fan found the comment “backhanded” and called it “bulletin board” material for the teams’ Week 15 rematch.
“Backhanded comment towards Sam,” the fan wrote. “This ends up on a bulletin board for the upcoming game in Minneapolis. F this punk.”
Admittedly, Williams’ comment captures that Darnold did come out of nowhere after floundering as a backup the past couple of seasons.
“Hes not lying,” one Bears fan wrote. “Everyone thought sams career was over.”
While many observers found Williams’ words innocent enough, it was a slip-up that harkens back to the beginning of the season when Darnold was the punchline of many national talk shows that picked the Vikings to finish last in the NFC North.
Look who’s laughing now.