Bears QB Caleb Williams Accused of ‘Disrespecting the Flag’ During National Anthem

It’s been a decade since former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick sparked headlines — and quite a bit of ire and controversy — over his attempts to have an uncomfortable conversation about social justice reform.

Kaepernick felt that the best way to go about his cause was to kneel during the traditional performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner” before major sports games.

[snip]

Those ratings have since rebounded, and, to be clear, “bad” NFL ratings are still multiples higher than other television programming.

But that doesn’t mean the NFL has any interest in revisiting that controversy anytime soon.

Alas, the internet was none too pleased with the NFL this week after an actual star quarterback (Kaepernick was largely a back-up in 2016) was seen “disrespecting” America during Monday Night Football.

[snip]

See if you can spot “Iceman” (a nickname which Williams has been trying to lift from NBA legend George Gervin) during this recital:

The Mariachi Herencia de México performed the national anthem in Chicago 🎶 pic.twitter.com/6Sv20SBqIr

— ESPN (@espn) September 29, 2026

If you fast forward to right about the 49-second mark, you can clearly see Williams in his sweats, wearing sunglasses, and casually strolling on the sideline. That was in stark juxtaposition to the other Bears and Eagles players and coaches, who were standing at attention for the anthem.

[snip]

Other X users echoed these sentiments, with one posting: “Caleb Williams too good for the national anthem? Just wandering the sideline.”

Notably, this isn’t the first time that Williams has been questioned about his behavior during the national anthem.

[snip]

The Bears will host the woeful New York Jets on Sunday. Williams is not expected to play, as he continues to recover from his injury.

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.

(*) Full article: https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/09/bears-qb-caleb-williams-accused-disrespecting-flag-national/