Social media teams frequently harken back to past games, highlighting players who are or were on their roster. That may have been what the Houston Texans were doing, but the timing of their video also read like a jab at Chicago Bears star Caleb Williams.
The Texans defeated Williams and the Bears two years ago, during the QB’s rookie season.
He has since seen his profile rise even higher than it was when he entered the league, including landing on the cover of “Madden NFL 27.”
Texans’ Video Appears to Shade Bears’ Caleb Williams
GettyThe Houston Texans took a look back at their win over the Chicago Bears in 2024.
The Texans shared the video of the 19-13 victory on X, and the camerawork largely focuses on cornerback Kamari Lassiter, who intercepted Williams twice in the contest, but only had one count due to a defensive holding penalty on Henry To’oTo’o in the third quarter.
Lassiter’s second pick counted, though. And while the Texans did not score on the ensuing possession, it did allow them to pin the Bears deep in their own territory on the next series.
“Anybody remember this [smirking face emoji],” the Texans captioned the post on X on June 17.
Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud outperformed Williams in that contest, and Houston went on to win 10 games while the Bears tallied half as many, firing head coach Matt Eberflus during the season and hiring a new one, Ben Johnson, last offseason.
Houston also won one more contest than Chicago last season, but the latter won its division while the former had to battle back for a second-place finish.
However, the trajectories of the two quarterbacks led to spirited reactions to the post.
Texans Post Sparks Backlash
GettyThe Houston Texans drew plenty of attention with their post that featured Caleb Williams throwing an interception.
The Texans’ win over the Bears gave them two in seven tries, but also produced a viral moment afterward in which Stroud was accused of overstepping his bounds, telling Williams to protect himself and take fewer hits.
Williams acknowledged the issue and was much better in that regard in 2026. He also only threw 6 INTs that season, with 13 picks in two years. Stroud had 12 INTs in 2024 and 8 in 2025.
Still, Stroud–who clarified the remarks in the immediate aftermath–has gone the other way.
Fans in the comments of the Texans’ post were quick to highlight Stroud’s struggles since that matchup, including his woes during the 2025 postseason and the narrative of back-to-back seasons of regression after an award-winning rookie campaign.
Stroud and the Texans will need to reach the Super Bowl and hope that Williams (who also downplayed the interaction) and the Bears do too in order to prove it was no fluke in a rematch.
C.J. Stroud Needs Texans’ Plan to Pay Off
GettyThis is a big season for C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans.
Catching stray jabs over a social media post is far down the list of concerns for Stroud, who must bounce back from his rough postseason to receive the long-term extension from the Texans that he feels he has already earned.
The Texans revamped the offensive line for the second straight offseason, and Stroud was able to post a career-low sack rate, per Pro Football Reference, behind last year’s group.
The biggest piece of the puzzle, though, is the running game.
Sleeper’s Jacob Barzilla highlighted how Stroud thrived when the Texans opened up the passing attack last season in Year 1 under offensive coordinator Nick Caley. However, they continued to lack on the ground.
That is where the Texans hope offseason trade pickup David Montgomery can do for them what his former team, the Bears, did for Williams, improving from 25th in 2024 to third in 2025.
With their defense, a strong run game could be all that is holding Stroud and the Texans back.
Texans Spark Backlash With Apparent Jab at Bears’ Caleb Williams