Caleb Williams' sideline frustration meltdown during the Chicago Bears win over the Washington Commanders grabbed the attention of fans fixated on his painted nails
00:08 ET, 14 Oct 2025Updated 00:08 ET, 14 Oct 2025
Caleb Williams embraces an opponent
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Caleb Williams nails overshadowed his frustrations against the Commanders online
Caleb Williams lost his cool and ability to be taken seriously by joking NFL fans online Monday night after the Chicago Bears quarterback spent portions of the team's 25-24 win over the Washington Commanders angry on the sidelines.
While Williams was heated over a botched snap and a near-disaster of a fourth-quarter drive, fans were too busy talking about his hands that once drew the attention of WNBA star Angel Reese. The camera cut to Williams on the sideline, wedged between teammates and coaches, gripping a Microsoft Surface tablet.
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The tablet is mostly used to show players their mistakes in real time. As he voiced his frustrations, his neon green and pink fingernails flashed on the camera. That was all social media needed to see to start a never-ending cycle of jokes regarding the juxtaposition. "Caleb Williams has a better manicure than I do," one fan wrote.
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Another added, "Watching Caleb throw a fit with pink nails while Jayden Daniels is leading a comeback is cinema." Williams has long addressed the expected criticism that comes along with his nail art.
While the jokes reached the apex of searches for his name, fans completely disregarded the reason the QB paints his nails in the first place.
The designs honor his mom, Dayna Price, a nail technician who has been doing his nails since high school. He continues this personal tradition as a gift to her and as a reminder to always do what he enjoys for himself.
Each week, he switches the colors to match a cause or team theme, such as suicide prevention awareness or custom Bears colors.
"It was my last year of high school," Williams once said. "My mom does nails. She's done it my whole life. It'ss just always been around me. Nobody else does it. I just like doing new things."
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Williams fought through a rough game that saw frustration not only from himself but also from head coach Ben Johnson. After the mishandled snap in field-goal range killed a key drive, it looked like the Bears were finished.
The Commanders scored on the next possession, and Williams sat fuming as the cameras lingered. But with under two minutes to go, he and D'Andre Swift strung together a nine-play drive to get Jake Moody, fresh off being cut by the 49ers, in range for a 38-yard game-winner.
Williams ended the night with 252 yards, one passing touchdown, and one rushing TD, despite finishing with minus-two rushing yards. His reaction after the win was composed, far from the fussiness that had led to memes just moments earlier.
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"That's who we are," he said. "We fight. That's what coach (Johnson) said. (It's about) how we face adversity."
The Bears have now won three straight after an 0-2 start, and Williams is quietly a key component.
He has 927 yards, 8 TDs, 2 picks, and a 65.7 QBR that ranks him 10th in the NFL. Williams became the first Bears QB to pass for at least 200 yardas and a touchdown in their first five games of a season.