Colin Cowherd says Caleb Williams is ‘carrying’ NFL, compares him to Tiger Woods

Caleb Williams was the breakout star of the 2025 NFL season, rejuvenating one of the league’s iconic franchises and giving hope to a passionate fanbase.

Williams arguably one-upped his performance from last year in Week 1, leading the Chicago Bears offense to put up a whopping 59 points in a win over Carolina. But just as quickly, the third-year quarterback was brought back down to earth in Week 2 with a scary non-contact injury to his right leg.

The NFL world now carefully awaits each Williams injury update, though it appears he has avoided the worst-case scenario—league insider Tom Pelissero says there’s still a chance that Williams is ready to go for Monday night’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Describing the stakes of Williams’ prognosis Monday on The Herd, FS1 commentator Colin Cowherd placed the young quarterback in legendary company, saying Williams was “carrying the league” and that the balance of the NFL’s popularity could tilt based on his status.

“When you’re as generationally gifted as Caleb, or LeBron, or Wemby, or Mahomes and Josh Allen, you’re not carrying a team, you’re carrying a league,” Cowherd said.

“That’s what Caleb Williams is. That’s what Tiger Woods was for golf.”

“When you’re as generationally gifted as Caleb, or LeBron, or Wemby, or Mahomes and Josh Allen, you’re not carrying a team, you’re carrying a league!”

“That’s what Caleb Williams is. That’s what Tiger Woods was for golf.”

Chicago’s very own Colin Cowherd: pic.twitter.com/QtpE00Or7U

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 21, 2026

Cowherd was not only making a case for why so much was riding on Williams’ quick return, but also why he believed Williams was so overcome with emotion after the injury on Sunday.

“The NFL, Roger Goodell, television executives, the city of Chicago, the Bears’ locker room, everybody except the Vikings, Packers, breathed a sigh of relief,” he said. “Caleb Williams is more than just a really good quarterback.”

Cowherd pointed to Chicago’s national TV schedule as evidence. The team plays seven national games the rest of the way, including — as Cowherd noted — games on both Thanksgiving and Christmas. Williams and Buffalo’s Josh Allen are the only QBs slated to play on both holidays this season.

Viewership certainly would dip if the Bears were out of contention by that point in the year.

“He has given juice to a classic, big-city, big-brand franchise,” Cowherd said of Williams.

While that might be true, putting the young QB in the same class as Patrick Mahomes, LeBron James or Tiger Woods feels premature if not outright absurd. Despite a heroic playoff win last season, Williams underperformed as a rookie and has just 17 total wins to his name, whereas the other names are among the most accomplished athletes in American history.

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