Not ‘a dig at all.’ Carolina Panthers coach on viral exchange with Caleb Williams
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An exchange between Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales and Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams went viral after the game on Sunday afternoon — after Williams, fresh off a dominant day, told his opposing coach that he led a “really good defense.”
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Canales was asked about the viral moment Monday.
And nipped any indication that Williams was taunting the 45-year-old coach in the bud.
“No,” Canales told reporters when asked if he thought the exchange was intended as disrespect. “To me, it was common postgame humility. It was the same with Ben Johnson. It was Caleb just talking about preparing for the guys that we had and all that. And the type of defense that we were able to play last season. He was aware of it.”
Canales added that the Bears “took advantage of things” and “executed better than we did.”
“So I didn’t take it as a dig at all,” Canales said. “I thought it was just a good kid just being respectful and making a comment of, ‘Hey we prepared. You guys played hard.’ And he didn’t have to say that ‘we played better today.’”
The exchange, originally captured by Gabe McDonald of Carolina Sports Live, came not even a minute after the Carolina Panthers’ 59-37 loss to the Bears went final. That 59 point-total stands as the most points the Panthers have given up in franchise history. Williams, specifically, accounted for much of that. The third-year quarterback finished 21 for 29 for 269 yards and two touchdowns; he also added 10 carries for 65 yards and two more scores.
The Bears, in total, accumulated 552 yards and dominated a Carolina defense that the team was optimistic about heading into the 2026 season.
“Y’all are a great defense man.” – Caleb Williams
Postgame exchange between the #Bears QB and #Panthers head coach Dave Canales.@CSLonQCN | #NFL pic.twitter.com/GC8wdRPVJt
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Carolina spent a lot of money in free agency and invested a lot of draft capital on the defensive side of the ball this year. Among the splashiest acquisitions included signing outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips to a four-year, $120 million contract and also signing inside linebacker Devin Lloyd — one of the best linebackers in the NFL. Phillips notched a sack Sunday; Lloyd led the team in tackles with 13.
The team also signed veteran linebacker Bobby Okereke, who forced a fumble Sunday, as well as spent a second-round draft pick on interior defensive lineman Lee Hunter.
These additions, tagged with the fact that the Panthers played well down the stretch of 2025, meant that Carolina was expected to be quite good on defense this season. Carolina, to close 2025, was in the middle of the pack in most team defensive categories — a massive jump from the historically bad 2024, in which Carolina gave up the most points in NFL history.
Canales spent most of Monday’s availability advocating for defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero’s 4-3 defensive scheme — sticking to his refrain that he played against it before and thus knows it works — and answering to the many gashes the team took.
The coach added that personnel was not the issue.
“That was one of the things I did share with the team today,” Canales said Monday. “I said, ‘Look, I wouldn’t have been able to sleep if I felt like we didn’t have the pieces that we have right in this room. A true statement to those guys.
“But we need to collectively come together and play way better football than that.”
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