It was meant to be a throwaway moment — a casual slip of the tongue on a laid-back sports show. Instead, it turned into a reminder that some players never forget who notices them, and who doesn’t.
During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Ja’Marr Chase casually referred to Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams as “Caleb Daniels.” What followed was a brief spiral of confusion, laughter, and uncensored honesty as Chase admitted he didn’t even know the Bears quarterback’s first name.
“I don’t know what the f— his first name is,” Chase said. “What’s the quarterback for the Bears?”
The studio laughed it off. McAfee and his crew leaned into the moment, joking as if “Caleb Daniels” were a real player who had somehow slipped everyone’s mind. Chase later appeared to realize the mix-up, likely confusing Williams with Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels.
But while the segment played as comedy, the clip didn’t land lightly everywhere.
Caleb Williams noticed.
The Bears quarterback didn’t respond with words. He didn’t tweet a rebuttal. Instead, he quietly retweeted a graphic highlighting Cincinnati’s missed opportunities during the Bengals’ Week 9 loss to Chicago — a 47–42 shootout in which Williams made several decisive plays.
It was subtle. Calculated. And unmistakable.
Williams had earned the right to remember that game. Cincinnati had multiple chances to close it out late. They didn’t. Chicago did. And Williams was at the center of it.
That context made Chase’s flub feel louder than it otherwise would have. This wasn’t a matchup Williams vanished in. It wasn’t an anonymous performance. It was a game where his presence mattered — and where the Bengals walked away frustrated.
Chase himself sounded irritated in his postgame comments back then.
“Offense has got to find a way to put the game away,” he said. “Somehow, some way, we’ve got to do it.”
That frustration now sits awkwardly next to a moment where he couldn’t recall the name of the quarterback who helped deliver it.
What makes the exchange resonate isn’t hostility. It’s restraint.
In today’s NFL, clapbacks are often loud, immediate, and designed for maximum virality. Williams chose a different route. No captions. No subtweets. Just a reminder — preserved in a retweet — that outcomes matter more than opinions.
It also speaks to how Williams is carving out his identity in the league. Still early in his career, he’s already shown an ability to absorb noise without amplifying it. He lets moments breathe. He lets performances speak. And when he does respond, it’s rarely accidental.
Ja’Marr Chase likely didn’t mean anything by the comment. The show’s tone was playful. The mistake was human. But the NFL is a league built on memory — especially among quarterbacks who spend entire careers being underestimated, misnamed, or overlooked.
Cincinnati and Chicago won’t see each other again anytime soon. This won’t turn into a rivalry. There will be no official response from either side.
But moments like these tend to stick.
Not because they’re dramatic — but because they’re personal.
And if there’s one thing Caleb Williams has shown so far, it’s that he doesn’t need to say much to make sure his name is remembered.
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