Former NFL star Efe Obada has launched a staunch defense of Caleb Williams, after the Chicago Bears quarterback turned from MVP candidate to meme material in the blink of an eye.The former No. 1 draft pick exited Chicago’s Week 2 game against the Minnesota Vikings on a cart, after suffering a right hamstring injury when falling awkwardly.Williams was carted off in Week 2 and became instant meme materialGettyA hushed Solider Field held their collective breath, and based on the initial reaction from a screaming Williams, expected the worst.The Bears, though, appear to have avoided disaster. Their franchise quarterback is considered week-to-week with a Grade 1 right hamstring strain, and hasn’t even been ruled out for Monday Night Football against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 3.Williams’ personal PR, though, has taken quite the hit.The 24-year-old has been ‘memed’ relentlessly in recent days, and social media has been awash with rival fans mocking what they believe was quite the overreaction to a ‘minor’ injury.Williams has also been subject to plenty of discussion between talking heads in the American media, and a player who was lauded for his performance in Week 1 found himself the butt of the joke seven days later. He has also fallen out of talkSPORT’s top 10 QB rankings. That doesn’t sit right with Obada, who spent six years in the NFL, and knows what it’s like to deal with injuries.Efe Obada defends Caleb Williams from ‘horrible’ backlash“For me, with the Caleb Williams situation, it actually got under my skin and it rubbed me the wrong way,” Obada said, discussing the situation with Will Gavin on talkSPORT’s Inside the NFL show.“Pain tolerance and toughness are two different things. How an athlete expresses their pain, or when they’re hurt, there’s so many different factors and layers that go into that.“In that moment when he got hurt, he didn’t know whether it was a grade one, grade two, bone tear. We didn’t know any of that.“You don’t know whether that reaction was an emotional reaction or a physical reaction. You don’t know whether he felt that weight of whether he let his team down, whether he let the city down, or you know, the fact that he’s built himself up this whole year.Williams’ injury was not as serious as first feared, and he could return in weeksGettyFormer NFL star Obada has defended the Bears QB and his reaction to the injuryGetty“So, there’s no right way for an athlete to react and respond to pain. It’s horrible.”Obada went on to break down why the modern ‘meme’ culture is so dangerous for athletes.“Personally, I think it’s unfair because in the midst of all of that uncertainty — all that doubt, all that anxiety, all that worry — he’s still found the courage to raise his hands up to an ungrateful crowd to let them know that he’s okay.“And also, he’s someone’s baby. You know, there’s family members out there, he needs to let them know that he’s okay.“It’s a very dangerous thing that media is doing right now, that social media is doing right now, because it’s perpetuating a culture that I personally don’t agree with.“And that is to say that how a man should express their pain in the NFL. There are players right now, in this very second, that are hiding their injuries from trainers, from staff because of fear of losing their job.”Obada has slammed claims Williams isn’t tough, and has hit out at those criticising the starGettyFormer NFL player labels Caleb Williams scrutiny ‘unfair’Obada believes the fans piling on to Williams should take a step back to think, and that the same mindset applies far beyond the NFL.“In life, there are people that are hiding their hurt and their pain for fear of being scrutinized and being ridiculed because of being seen or deemed soft,” he added.“I don’t think his players think he’s soft. I don’t think his coaches think he’s soft. I don’t think his family members think he’s soft.“There’s so many different factors that would dictate that. And you can’t judge someone off that. So, it’s unfair that Caleb Williams gets all that scrutiny. He didn’t know, he’s just expressing pain, expressing he’s hurt.NFL Weekly Newsletter - SIGN UP!talkSPORT is your home for NFL in the UK as we launch our biggest year of coverage yet!2026 promises to be an epic year for NFL on talkSPORT – and we want you to join us for the ride.MORE INFO & SIGN-UP HERE!This season will be our biggest ever with live commentary of 90+ games, including behind-the-scenes access to international games and all three London fixtures, plus bumper coverage of Super Bowl 61 at SoFi Stadium.Exclusive interviews, hard-hitting opinion, latest front-office drama and top breaking news – all delivered straight to your inbox each week.“And until you’ve been in that situation, I don’t think you get a say in that.“I think if there is anyone that’s in that situation, in that room and that’s questioning him and how he responded — it’s shameful.“What message are we sending to someone that’s just fallen in love with football? What message are we sending to the kids that are in high school, that if you are hurt, don’t express it. Don’t ask for help. Don’t don’t show vulnerability.“It’s embarrassing. And that’s the deeper message that I feel like these memes, messages and these broadcasters, and panelists are are tacking on. That can be very, very dangerous.”The discourse around Williams has been described as ‘dangerous’ for the NFLGettyWilliams, in all likelihood, will be sidelined for Monday night’s game against the Eagles at Soldier Field.He’s not been able to practice this week, and while head coach Ben Johnson has labelled his starting QB a ‘competitor,’ the Bears should exercise caution, and not risk rushing him back.Williams will likely be out weeks, not months, and that is a huge positive for Chicago — even if rival fans will no doubt continue to meme the circumstances surrounding his initial fall. Join talkSPORT’s dedicated US Sports YouTube channel The S* Word every Tuesday and Thursday for our brand new NFL shows.On Tuesdays, Will Gavin and US senior reporter Brian T. Smith will debate the biggest talking points from the NFL weekend, while on Thursdays Efe Obada joins the crew to talk to players past and present and break down what to look for across the league.