If you were a fan of an NFL team which suffered a wrenching, ugly, costly Week 1 loss, this wasn’t funny. For neutral observers and anyone who didn’t have money on any NFL game on Sunday, this was absolutely hilarious.
NFL fans who might have entered the first Sunday of the new season hoping for a playoff berth were clamoring for Caleb Williams three hours later. That’s how impressive Caleb Williams is and has been. That’s how much attention the USC quarterback is drawing on the road to the 2024 NFL draft.
It isn’t surprising to see such an outpouring for Caleb Williams, given the immensity of his talent and potential. However, it was certainly striking to see fans immediately abandon playoff hopes after one week so that the long-term future of their franchise would improve. Fans clearly would rather have a horrible 2023 NFL season and get Caleb than finish 9-8 and be in the hunt for the No. 7 seed in the playoffs.
Here’s a look at the various NFL fan bases which openly wanted Caleb Williams on the first NFL Sunday of the new season: