Caleb Williams has been the subject of intense scrutiny ever since he arrived on the scene. One of the most dynamic collegiate products to step into the NFL, Williams was the consensus selection for the first overall pick.
However, his career has gotten off to a slow start with a rookie season that was a mixed bag from start to finish. While some of it was his fault, a lot of the blame fell on the coaching staff of the Chicago Bears.
This year, fans are hoping for a turnaround for the star quarterback and the franchise with offensive genius Ben Johnson taking over the head coaching job. Through the two games of preseason, when he was on the field, there has been a marked difference in the playstyle for Williams.
But for one analyst, that wasn’t enough. He found a rather unusual reason to criticize the star QB. Unfortunately, the rest of the NFL world did not share his views.
Fans Rally Against Absurd Caleb Williams Criticism
Coming in as a former Heisman winner and a legendary career at USC, Williams was seen as a truly generational prospect. However, his first year didn’t go according to plan, as he finished the year with rather mediocre numbers.
Tallying 3,541 yards and 20 touchdowns, he led the Bears to a 5-12 record, which included a 10-game losing streak in the middle of the year. But with high expectations going into Year 2 with a new head coach, fans were understandably optimistic.
However, Sam Acho of ESPN didn’t share that feeling. Instead, he ripped Williams apart for one “little thing.” He reasoned, “Look at the socks that are halfway down,” before adding, “It’s not a huge deal, but when you’re looking at a franchise quarterback, leader of the team, you want to be in full uniform. You want to be a guy that other teammates can look to.”
Strange: ESPN analyst Sam Acho criticized Bears QB Caleb Williams for wearing his SOCKS halfway, calling it sloppy and a lack of leadership.
“Another thing is a little thing, but a big thing, even just some of the uniform stuff. Look at the socks that are halfway down,”
ESPN is… pic.twitter.com/0Gl3jXuJUK
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) August 24, 2025
His criticism, though, felt hollow and lacking any true football expertise. A lot of fans rallied against him on X, with some believing it was a fault of the network itself. “That’s wild critiquing socks as a “leadership issue” feels like ESPN is really reaching for content. Caleb’s play on the field should matter way more than how high his socks are pulled.”
That’s wild critiquing socks as a “leadership issue” feels like ESPN is really reaching for content. 😅 Caleb’s play on the field should matter way more than how high his socks are pulled.
— ℝ𝕖𝕡𝕝𝕪𝕄𝕠𝕣𝕥𝕪 💬😈 (@JoaquinMQ7) August 24, 2025
One fan even went so far as to wonder how Acho had a job on the platform. Even those who did not think highly of the Bears quarterback could not agree with Acho’s breakdown, purely because of how vain it sounded in comparison to actual football dialogue.
“Sam Acho really tried to tie leadership to sock height — while Caleb was out there struggling to read defenses and missing throws. If anything’s sloppy, it’s ESPN pretending fashion critiques matter more than football IQ.”
Sam Acho really tried to tie leadership to sock height—while Caleb was out there struggling to read defenses and missing throws. If anything’s sloppy, it’s ESPN pretending fashion critiques matter more than football IQ.
— Skyline (@Skyline55085861) August 24, 2025
However, there were a select few who believed Acho was correct. One fan added, “Sam Acho is 100% correct he looks sloppy and unserious he needs to do better.” For some, the decision to wear his socks only halfway was some mastermind ploy by the former number one overall pick to make the conversation about himself.
“He is right. Caleb was the only one wearing his socks that way. Has to find ways to make it about him and put attention on himself.” With nearly a decade’s worth of experience in the league, including spending time on the NFL players’ association, Acho clearly has some idea of what he’s talking about.
He is right. Caleb was the only one wearing his socks that way. Has to find ways to make it about him and put attention on himself.
— John Schmidt (@JSchmiddy13) August 24, 2025
The winner of multiple awards acknowledging his locker room presence and leadership, some fans believe there might be some validity to Acho’s statements. One fan added, “Replies are mad but most players and the league will agree with him.”
Replies are mad but most players and the league will agree with him.
— morgan 🐉 (@tokyoXmo) August 25, 2025
At the end of the day, the only thing that is going to matter once the season begins is the performance on the field. Regardless of his fashion choices, if Williams can reach the ceiling that most anticipated from him coming out of college, then any conversation surrounding what he wears will be background noise at best.
With new weapons, an improved offensive line, and a genius playcaller, the pieces are in place for Williams to succeed. Now, it’s on the quarterback’s shoulders to prove his worth.
