Caleb Williams Fires Back at Troy Aikman’s ‘Just Luck’ Jab—What Sparked the Fiery Exchange on Monday Night Football?

Caleb Williams found himself riding a wave of redemption Tuesday, soaking in the triumph as the Chicago Bears pulled off a thrilling “Monday Night Football” victory over the Washington Commanders. This win was especially sweet, coming nearly a year after Williams endured the most gut-wrenching defeat of his budding career at the very same site—challenging the shadow of a quarterback he’ll forever be measured against. Amid the celebratory buzz on social media, Williams didn’t hold back; he shot a pointed message toward ‘MNF’ analyst Troy Aikman, whose take on the game clearly rubbed him the wrong way. Reliving the highs of the game, sharing snapshots that ranged from on-field action to glimpses of Washington D.C., Williams made it crystal clear: this feeling of triumph wasn’t just luck, contrary to what Aikman suggested. The clash of narratives highlights a fascinating subplot unfolding as the Bears continue to build momentum, with Williams leading the charge both on and off the field. LEARN MORE

Caleb Williams was basking Tuesday in the aftermath of Chicago’s “Monday Night Football” win over the Washington Commanders, nearly a year removed from the most painful loss of his young career at the same site, opposite a quarterback he will always be compared to.

While taking a victory lap on social media, the Bears quarterback also delivered a message to ‘MNF’ analyst Troy Aikman, whose commentary during Chicago’s win didn’t appear to sit well with him.

Williams posted a photo gallery on Instagram with an array of images that included shots of action from Monday’s game, sight-seeing images of Washington D.C., a random shot of Allen Iverson and what appears to be a nod to his former USC team beating Michigan on Saturday.

Underneath the images, Williams captioned his post:

Nations Cap good being back!
“It was lucky” -TA
“Whooptie Doo”😂😂

The “Nations Cap” note is self-evident. It was good to get a win in Washington after last season’s demoralizing loss against the Commanders thanks to Jayden Daniels’ successful Hail Mary pass as time expired.

As for “It was lucky” -TA? It takes a bit of sleuthing to put together, but the message is pretty clear. That one’s for Aikman, who chalked up a late Bears touchdown in Chicago’s 25-24 win to “luck.”

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With the Bears facing third-and-4 near midfield and 10:30 remaining on the game clock, Williams found running back D’Andre Swift with a swing pass in the flat. Swift shed a would-be tackler, then sprinted down the left sideline for a 55-yard touchdown that cut Washington’s lead to 24-22.

The Bears went on to kick a game-winning field goal as time expired.

Here’s what Aikman had to say following that touchdown play that featured a busted Commanders coverage when two Washington defenders ran into each other on DJ Moore’s route:

“That’s why Swift was as open as he is,” Aikman said of the busted coverage. “And then you make one guy miss — now with his speed, he’s off to the races. Just, um, luck on Chicago’s part.

“It wasn’t really wasn’t so much intended to be a pick, but it turned into that just based on how it was defended.”

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On one hand, Aikman wasn’t wrong. Washington’s busted coverage in part allowed Swift to turn the corner down the sideline and run free for the touchdown.

But his language offered no credit to Chicago for designing and executing the play that set Swift up. And Bears fans appeared to have already had enough of Aikman’s commentary before that play.

Bears social media, including the clip above that omitted the context of Aikman’s comment, ran with the quote. And Williams, whose Bears have now one three straight, was happy to carry the baton Tuesday on his own social media.