Terry Bradshaw’s Tone-Deaf Dig at Bears QB Caleb Williams Is Turning Heads

After being drafted No. 1 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, Caleb Williams made his highly anticipated NFL regular season debut with the Chicago Bears (1-0) on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans (0-1).

Williams' first game had its ups and downs. He completed just 48.3 percent of his throws (14-of-29) for under 100 yards, without any touchdowns or interceptions, and was sacked twice for a total loss of 29 yards.

Despite his mediocre stats, the Bears managed to come back and secure a 24-17 home victory over the Titans. Williams is now the first No. 1 overall rookie quarterback to win in his debut since 2002.

The Bears trailed 17-3 at halftime but mounted a second-half comeback led by their defense and special teams, shutting out the Titans after the break.

Before the game, much of the buzz was centered on Williams and how he would perform in his debut—a typical spotlight for a No. 1 overall pick. But something else caught the attention of former NFL quarterback Terry Bradshaw before the Bears' game kicked off.

During pre-game warmups, it was revealed that Williams had revived a tradition he became known for at USC—painting his fingernails with messages. This time , his nails read, "#18 DA BEARS."

Williams had hinted a few weeks earlier on an episode of Pardon My Take that he planned to bring back this tradition. He first went viral after painting his nails with "F**K UTAH" ahead of USC's game against Utah in the 2022 Pac-12 Championship Game.

During Fox NFL Sunday , Bradshaw, a longtime analyst on the show, commented on the trend: "What if I'd have painted my fingernails in 1970? Black on this side (pointing to his left hand) and gold on this side (pointing to his right hand)."

For context, the 1970 season marked Bradshaw's first in the NFL. Like Williams, he was the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Bradshaw went on to play 14 seasons with Pittsburgh, winning four Super Bowls, two Super Bowl MVPs, and the NFL MVP award in 1978.

In response, fellow guest analyst Howie Long playfully said, "You know, I was hoping, I was hoping you would just stop and not even think about that," as the two laughed.

"I'm not saying it's wrong..." Bradshaw added.

For Williams, painting his fingernails is a form of self-expression, something he’s been doing since his senior year of high school. He got the idea from his mother, who is a nail technician. She would paint his nails before games, according to CBS Sports .

On Pardon My Take , Williams mentioned that he plans to switch up the messages on his nails from week to week. The Bears will travel to face the Houston Texans (1-0) in Week 2.

Related: Caleb Williams Gets Bailed Out By His Defense For Once