It seems like every few years around draft time we have a curious case of a talented young player being brought into the media spotlight and being unreasonably crucified for things outside of his tape, or quite frankly anything having to do with his football skillset. Cam Newton himself faced criticism seemingly out of nowhere for possessing a “fake smile” and being a personality fans and media immediately loved to hate. This year, another probably number one overall pick in USC quarterback Caleb Williams faces similar negative feedback and it could not be more narrow-minded and silly.
OMG, the Chicago Bears are finally in a position to draft a franchise quarterback, and Caleb Williams is a Dylan Mulvaney wannabe. Complete with pink finger nails, lip gloss, and phone! pic.twitter.com/LhNL7iqubc
— Vince Langman (@LangmanVince) March 27, 2024
Williams has been attacked seemingly all offseason long over his choices of self-expression. From wearing nail polish, his phone case color, crying in his mother’s arms after a emotionally exhausting loss, and his general laid-back demeanor, Williams is getting put through the wringer for all the worst reasons.
Only a NFL fanbase full of fragile men who cherish the idea of deeply insecure self-held masculinity could see the generational talent that is Caleb Williams and choose to try and define him by such simplistic things. Gen Z and the athletes contained within in it are some of the most expressive and true-to-self characters we have seen in modern sports, and that is very much a good thing.
Potential #1 overall pick Caleb Williams ready to show off his arm in front of scouts 💪 @CALEBcsw @uscfb
📱: USC Pro Day— Today 1:30pm ET on NFL+ pic.twitter.com/jz7UWOFK8O
— NFL (@NFL) March 20, 2024
NFL front offices certainly are not going to take issue with Williams’ nails or phone case, and it is silly that we even need to have the discussion. Williams is a top level talent the likes of which we haven’t seen since Andrew Luck. His talent being undermined by personal fashion choices and self-expression makes it hard to take fan criticism seriously.
The noise that this non-issue has created has peeled back some of the uglier side of NFL fandom that is laced in homophobia and toxic masculinity. Perhaps if you evaluate Williams by his self-expression, you should do an evaluation of your own character instead and allow young players to be their own fantastic individuals.