NFL Reporter Ian Rapoport Rightfully Criticizes USC QB Caleb Williams Snubbing Media, Still Faces Backlash

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The USC Trojans' regular season came to a disappointing end Saturday as the team lost to UCLA 38-20. Led by Heisman Trophy favorite Caleb Williams, USC did not meet expectations. After the game, Williams refused to speak to the media. NFL reporter Ian Rapoport not-so-subtly criticized that decision.

This is a perfectly reasonable take. It's also not a decision made in a vacuum. Williams' choice to not speak to the media continues in a pattern of skirting responsibility when things don't go his way.

That's not a great sign for him as a future NFL franchise quarterback. There's nothing wrong with pointing out that other NFL stars handle their media responsibilities even when they're in the midst of a difficult time.

I previously wrote a lengthy piece about Williams, which you can read below.

To me, this is another example of exactly what I wrote two weeks ago. When Caleb Williams was winning the Heisman Trophy and dominating college football, there wasn't a microphone he didn't want to talk into.

Now that USC has lost five of its last six games and fallen well short of expectations -- in addition to Williams failing to replicate his historic season last year -- Williams is either silent or saying the wrong things.

NFL reporter Ian Rapoport faced criticism on social media after calling out USC QB Caleb Williams for skipping his media availability.

NFL reporter Ian Rapoport faced criticism on social media after calling out USC QB Caleb Williams for skipping his media availability. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Still, people are mad at Rapoport for making a simple observation.

The post already has over 4.3 million views on X. That's a quite a bit more than anything else on Rapoport's timeline.

People are sharing it, and from what I saw, mostly mocking Rapoport for comparing Joe Burrow and Caleb Williams.

I could share a lot more of them, but most of them shared this theme. Joe Burrow is a professional and Caleb Williams is in college.

I don't understand this argument, honestly. We're not talking about an average college quarterback. This is Caleb Williams, the potential #1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

The team that drafts Williams expects him to be their franchise quarterback. In fact, comparing him to Burrow is a compliment. What Rapoport is saying is that's the standard Williams needs to reach if he's to fulfill his potential.

The fact that people are quick to give Williams a pass -- again -- only furthers the idea that he's not ready to be an NFL franchise quarterback.

In that way, I agree with the people criticizing Rapoport. They're right: Caleb Williams shouldn't be compared to Joe Burrow.

Because he's nowhere near the same player that Burrow is and probably never will be.

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Dan began his sports media career at ESPN, where he survived for nearly a decade. Once the Stockholm Syndrome cleared, he made his way to Outkick. He is secure enough in his masculinity to admit he is a cat-enthusiast with three cats, one of which is named “Brady” because his wife wishes she were married to Tom instead of him.