{
  "id": 9228417,
  "title": "Maxx Crosby Defends Bears' Caleb Williams After Dramatic Injury Reaction",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/maxx-crosby-defends-bears-caleb-williams-after-dramatic-injury",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-23T00:14:34.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Newsweek",
    "slug": "newsweek",
    "url": "https://www.newsweek.com/sports/nfl/maxx-crosby-defends-bears-caleb-williams-after-dramatic-injury-reaction-12475532"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Caleb Williams, quarterback for the Chicago Bears, suffered a concerning injury during a Week 2 game against the Minnesota Vikings. The incident occurred while Williams was rushing the ball, causing him to fall to the ground in pain. Initially, the severity of the injury raised alarm, with fans and even opponents expressing worry over Williams' well-being. However, hours later, an update revealed that the injury was not as severe as it seemed, and Williams might return to play sooner than anticipated. This led to backlash from fans who criticized the Bears star for his reaction to the injury. During a recent episode of his podcast, Maxx Crosby, a defensive star for the Las Vegas Raiders, defended Williams against the harsh criticism. Crosby empathized with Williams, acknowledging that such a traumatic event could cause intense emotional reactions. He noted that his own experience with a hamstring injury had left him shaken. Head coach Ben Johnson expects Williams to be week to week in terms of recovering from the injury. Initially, there were hopes that Williams could play in the Bears' upcoming game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football. However, a more realistic recovery time, as suggested by ESPN's NFL insider Ian Rapoport, is two to four weeks. Despite the controversy surrounding Williams' injury reaction, he has previously appeared on Crosby's podcast, demonstrating the respect and camaraderie between the two athletes.",
  "summary": "Raiders star Maxx Crosby defended Bears quarterback Caleb Williams from criticism over how he reacted to his Week 2 injury.",
  "key_points": [
    "Caleb Williams suffered injury during Week 2 game against Minnesota Vikings",
    "Maxx Crosby defended Williams against criticism on his podcast",
    "Head coach Ben Johnson expects Williams' recovery to take two to four weeks"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Maxx Crosby's defense of Caleb Williams on his podcast shifts focus from criticism of Williams' injury reaction to understanding the emotional toll of traumatic events on athletes.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}