Kirk Herbstreit Bears commentary backlash
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The gist
Thursday Night Football analyst Kirk Herbstreit compared Bears quarterback Caleb Williams to a "bucking bronco" who needed training.
Critics say the animal analogy for a Black quarterback echoes racialized tropes.
Background
Kirk Herbstreit is a Thursday Night Football analyst for Prime Video, known for college football coverage on ESPN's College GameDay. Caleb Williams is the Chicago Bears quarterback, a former No. 1 overall pick and Heisman Trophy winner. During the Patriots-Bears broadcast, Herbstreit said Williams arrived "like a bucking bronco" and "needed to be trained," before praising his improvement in his second year under coach Ben Johnson. The remark drew criticism on X, and critics and media figures argued that comparing a Black athlete to a wild, untamed animal taps into uncomfortable historical tropes and racialized language.
How it unfolded
- Oct 23, 2026In the first quarter of the Patriots-Bears Thursday Night Football game, Herbstreit said Caleb Williams "was like a bucking bronco" when he arrived and "needed to be trained and needed to be taught how to play within structure."
- Oct 23, 2026During the broadcast Herbstreit also quipped "It's a single doink" after a Bears missed field goal and questioned whether kicker Cairo Santos was going for a "pooch punt" on a field-goal try.
- Oct 23, 2026After the Patriots' 30-24 loss to the Bears, viewers criticized Herbstreit's delivery, analysis and talking points on X; he replied to former NFL tackle Kyle Long's post, "Sorry to bring up a brutal memory big fella."
- Oct 23, 2026The Athletic's Jemele Hill said there were many ways to say Williams had matured and Herbstreit "picked the most cringeworthy way possible."
- Oct 24, 2026Critics and media figures argued comparing a Black athlete to a wild, untamed animal taps into uncomfortable historical tropes and racialized language.
Who’s saying what
- Analysts
- The Athletic's Jemele Hill said there were many ways to say Williams had matured as a quarterback and Herbstreit picked "the most cringeworthy way possible."
- Public
- Some fans called the comparison a "dogwhistle" and "disgustingly next-level coding," asking "You couldn't find another analogy?"
- Public
- Other viewers criticized Herbstreit's overall delivery, calling him "a brutal listen" who "talks WAY too much" and overstates the Bears' defense.