Something weird happened on Monday night. Joe Buck and Troy Aikman aren't always the most complimentary broadcasting duo when it comes to the Chicago Bears, but they've at least been fair in previous outings. The game against the Washington Commanders felt different. Aikman seemed abnormally critical of the Bears all night, particularly quarterback Caleb Williams. Every mistake he made was harped on while his nice plays were dismissed as nothing special or just luck. Meanwhile, he had no problems showing Jayden Daniels praise despite two costly turnovers.
It turns out there may have been a reason for this oddly cold behavior. Williams was asked about it during his press conference on Wednesday. Here, he revealed some previously unknown information. He and Aikman were supposed to have a production meeting before the game. However, Williams was working at Halas Hall and lost track of time. When he finished, he called Aikman to meet up. The former quarterback didn't answer his phone. Based on how things unfolded in the game, it's a reasonable assumption that Aikman felt disrespected.
Caleb Williams won't lose sleep over the incident.
People will argue he should've been better about communicating that he was running behind schedule. Fair enough, but Caleb Williams is human. He likely lost track of time. It's not like he just blew Aikman off. He attempted to get in touch to fulfill his obligations. The former Super Bowl champion didn't bother answering the phone. Instead, he seemed to air his grievances on national television. That isn't the kind of petty behavior you expect from a 58-year-old Hall of Famer.
Alas, none of it matters. Aikman won't be calling another Bears game this season. Williams doesn't have to worry about him until next year. By then, nobody will care about what happened. It will be filed away as another one of those strange incidents that happen from time to time in this league.
