Matt Forte cooked all of the Caleb Williams haters over an open fire

Weeks, if not months before the 2024 NFL Draft, current Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams had heard it all.

Shoot, we even had our skeptical moments reading all of the rumors, criticism and question marks coming in about Williams. He had been labeled 'selfish,' 'entitled,' and 'too emotional,' among other things.

Come to find out through listening to countless teammates and watching dozens of pre-draft interviews, Williams cares. He's said time and time again that he just wants to win, but he's also given examples of how he takes care of his own guys, too.

Well, one former Bears running back, fan favorite and the franchise's second-leading rusher all-time, Matt Forte, had a chance to speak with Williams and gave Kay Adams a little rundown of his impression on the young quarterback:

"He's a good kid ... He cares, he wants to win. It's not a prideful thing where he's coming in like, 'yeah I'm the number one pick and everyone is supposed to love me.'"

Forte went on about Williams' outlook:

"He wants to prove himself, and I think that goes a long way, especially in today's social media culture where a lot of kids are coming in where they're already making money."

Can we finally close the door on this false narrative which was built only to harm a young player on the rise?

Look, a guy like Forte is one of the more beloved and respected Chicago athletes we've seen in a few decades. His opinion is only an opinion, sure. But, for someone so well-respected by Bears fans, this is an opinion we're going to choose to believe.

Forte played the game and he played it the right way. He was a phenomenal teammate and locker room presence, so for him to speak on the character of a young player should mean something.

Williams might be a young kid that's made millions even before stepping foot on an NFL field, but the fact of the matter is, we've seen enough evidence to believe that all of the negative narratives written and spoken are as good as dead, at this point.

Forte also went on to speak about fellow rookie Rome Odunze and the type of person he is, stating that he thinks it's such a positive they're teammates in Chicago, now. The two of them care so deeply about winning and share a selfless mentality, but they each have different personalities and that's why Williams could be misunderstood.

For now, let's decide to roll with Forte's take. Case closed.