“Go ahead and paint your nails” — Cam Newton slams Caleb Williams for letting style distract from winning

Another take from Cam Newton, the former NFL quarterback, was aimed at Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams. He pointed out that Williams is letting off-field distractions, like the talk about his painted nails, get in the way of his game focus.

This was shared on Newton's podcast, where he highlighted that performance should take precedence over personal flair, particularly given the Bears' rough start to the season.

Caleb Williams struggles in second NFL season with Chicago Bears

Caleb Williams is recognized for his distinctive personal style, which includes painting his nails as a way to express himself. In April 2024, just before joining the league, Williams received criticism for this practice, with some doubting its appropriateness for a quarterback.During that period, Cam Newton came to Williams' defense on the "Club Shay Shay" podcast, saying, "I guarantee if he paint his nails pink, and he go out there and ball, ain't nobody gonna say nothing about the pink,". However, by September 2025, with Williams in his second NFL season and the Bears starting 0-2, Newton's tone shifted.The Bears' 2025 season started off rough with losses to their divisional foes: they fell to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1 after leading in the first half but not being able to finish strong in the second.

Then, in Week 2, they got crushed by the Detroit Lions in a 52-something blowout, as their defense struggled to contain the scoring.

Williams' personal stats for these games show a passer rating under 90, a completion percentage of 61.5%, a passing success rate of 39.4%, and he has taken six sacks. The team, which finished with a 5-12 record in 2024, is now led by new head coach Ben Johnson. He has openly criticized the team's practice performance, pointing out that while problems like missed assignments can be corrected, they need improved focus.This shaky start has heightened the conversations surrounding Williams, particularly his style choices, sparking talks about whether these factors divert attention from his performance on the field. The criticism peaked in the episode of Newton's podcast "4th&1 with Cam Newton" titled "Caleb Williams keeps going VIRAL for all the WRONG REASONS!", released on YouTube on September 19, 2025, featuring guests Adam "Pacman" Jones and Reshad Jones.

Cam Newton urges Caleb Williams to focus on winning instead of media distractions

Newton was telling Williams to focus on winning instead of chatting with the media about stuff that isn't football. Newton, who used to be the MVP and quarterback for the Carolina Panthers, started his podcast "4th&1" to keep players accountable, as he mentioned in the episode, "The reason why I created fourth and one is to hold everybody accountable.".Newton specifically told Williams, via the podcast, "If that's what it takes for him to go out there and win football games, go ahead and paint your nails, my boy."

However, he added, "Well, he's not winning. I think that's the problem. Why? If he was going out there and dominating, who gives a sh*t what color he's painting his nails, right?" This illustrates Newton's perspective that quarterbacks should have to justify their unique traits with their performance, similar to how Tom Brady can get away with it because of his regular wins.Guest Adam "Pacman" Jones echoed this, saying, "Any quarterback with nails on suck.

... I don't want my quarterback with no nails on your personal time." Newton also suggested to Williams that he should "pass on" media chances regarding his nails, mentioning, "Keep the main thing the main thing. And the main thing for you as a quarterback in your situation is winning. ... All that is all distractions if you're not winning.

" He warned that without wins, optics suffer: "You’ve got a quarterback that’s worried about getting the French tip more than getting the ball over the goal line.

... The optics don’t look good."Newton mentioned certain games, sharing with Williams, "You played in a winnable first half versus the Minnesota Vikings. And where was all the execution and focus in the second half? You lost that game. Hey, you just played a division foe in the Detroit Lions. They put up a 52 Ray Lewis on you." The term "52 Ray Lewis" probably refers to the Lions putting up 52 points, referencing the iconic jersey number of the legendary defender Ray Lewis to highlight the defensive effort.Also Read: “You should not be that gifted” — Colin Cowherd praises Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen’s unstoppable 2025 formAs the Bears gear up for Week 3 against the Dallas Cowboys, who have racked up 60 points in their first two games, the pressure is on to steer clear of an 0-3 start—this would be the second time since 2023. Williams' nail art, done for Week 1 by the same artist who worked with WNBA star Angel Reese, keeps sparking viral conversations, but Newton's point stands: winning on the field is what really matters.