Future Hall of Fame defensive end J.J. Watt retired from the NFL after the 2022 season and currently serves as an analyst for CBS Sports.
Watt, who amassed 114.5 career sacks, spent 10 of his 12 seasons playing for the Houston Texans, where he was named Defensive Player of the Year three times. While watching his former team beat the Chicago Bears, 19-13 on Sunday Night Football, the former six-time All-Pro DE saw Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams get sacked seven times while also taking endless hits.
Watt, who knows a thing or two about hitting the quarterback, went away impressed by the rookie QB’s toughness.
“Caleb Williams has been taking a beating tonight. Keeps popping back up though. #Respect,” Watt wrote on X.
J.J. Watt Wasn’t the Only Person Giving Bears QB Caleb Williams Props for His Toughness
Houston’s duo of defensive ends, Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr., combined for 14 total pressures, including 4.0 sacks, according to Pro Football Focus. The Texans finished with 7.0 sacks and 11 QB hits on Williams, who never left the game once. That toughness not only impressed Watt, but many others watching.
“Man, Caleb Williams is really one tough dude,” NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote on X. “He got hit as hard as any QB I’ve seen in quite awhile and kept standing in.”
“Thank goodness Caleb Williams is tough, smart, and elusive. He is going to be sore for days. Lucky he could walk off,” one fan posted.
“Gotta admire him for getting back up after some of those hits,” another fan wrote about Williams.
Matt Eberflus, Caleb Williams Respond to Loss vs. Texans
Williams and the Bears offense started well against Houston. Williams went 12-15 for 91 yards in the first half, but it was a tale of two halves for the young QB. He went 11-22 for 83 yards in the second half, also tossing two interceptions.
After the game, Bears head coach Matt Eberflus refused to single Chicago’s offensive line out for lack of protection.
“I believe protection is everybody. Protection is the tight ends, runners, offensive line, it’s the quarterback; it’s everybody involved. So we got to do a really good job with that,” Eberflus said after the loss to the Texans.
“You’re always wanting protection to be firmer and better of course, but we played against two good ends today,” Eberflus added. “They had two good ends that are really good. Danielle is a heck of a player. Will is a heck of a player. Great motor. Those guys are in the top 10 pass rushers in the league for sure. So it was a big challenge for us. But, again, we needed to be firmer and be better in protection, everybody.”
When asked about the offense’s struggles, Williams echoed the sentiments of Coach Flus.
“I think it just comes down to detail, execution,” the Bears QB said. “That’s always where it comes from. Watching tonight we were moving the ball pretty well the first half felt like, and then second half kind of got shaky and out of hand for us. So just understanding that, understanding where we were good at, where we weren’t, and making the corrections throughout this week.”
Watt is correct: It’s clear Williams is a tough player. But if he continues taking so many hits, an injury could be an inevitability.
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