Whether you think this week’s saga between Monday Night Football analyst Troy Aikman and Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams is much ado about nothing likely depends on your beliefs about what constitutes unfair criticism, and what’s simply an announcer calling a game as he sees fit.
But what started as some Bears fans on social media being upset with Aikman’s portrayal of Williams during the Bears’ win over the Washington Commanders early this week, turned into local radio segments, which turned into Bears head coach Ben Johnson taking a shot at the ESPN announcer, which turned into Williams referencing the ordeal in an Instagram post, which finally turned into Stephen A. Smith discussing the topic on First Take.
And now, the Bears quarterback expanded on the situation, saying that he reached out to Aikman after missing their production meeting for the Monday night game while working at Halas Hall, but that Aikman did not respond.
Caleb Williams said he and Troy Aikman didn’t have their usual production meeting before Monday Night Football.
Williams was at Halas Hall late that evening, and by the time he finished and called Aikman, he didn’t answer — so the two never ended up connecting. pic.twitter.com/kguK9nSWrq
— Dave (@dave_bfr) October 15, 2025
“I didn’t get to meet with him. Tried to meet with him. Reached out and tried to meet, but that didn’t happen. So, moved on from it, went and played the game and came out 3-2,” Williams said.
“I was here late and the timing didn’t meet up lifting or whatever the case may have been, tried to call him after the day I was supposed to meet with him and it didn’t get through,” he added.
Would this be cause for Troy Aikman to be overly critical of Caleb Williams throughout Monday’s broadcast, as some Bears fans suggested he was? The answer is almost certainly no. This can’t be the first time in Aikman’s quarter-century broadcasting career that he was unable to meet with a starting quarterback before a game.
But Williams’ response does add some context to what has somehow become a national sports story. Perhaps Aikman would have viewed Williams’ performance through a slightly different lens if he’d been given the added perspective a pregame meeting would’ve provided.
If anything, this entire mini-drama will ensure one thing: Troy Aikman and Caleb Williams will make damn sure their schedules align the next time the Bears appear on Monday Night Football.