The Bulls' forward is good friends with the Chicago Bears' quarterback.
The city of Chicago held its breath on Sunday afternoon when Bears quarterback Caleb Williams went down with an apparent injury.
Midway through the fourth quarter of the Bears' 9-3 loss to the Vikings, Williams suddenly slid to the ground and yelled out in pain. He required assistance to leave the football field and was eventually carted back to the locker room.
Chicago Bulls forward Matas Buzelis, who has become close friends with Williams over the past two years, took to social media to share his shock at the Bears star's injury.
"Ain't no way," Buzelis posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Williams appears to have avoided serious injury to his right leg. The 24-year-old quarterback was diagnosed with a hamstring strain and has yet to be ruled out ahead of next Monday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Bears head coach Ben Johnson called Williams' injury "week-to-week."
Buzelis and Williams were both drafted to their respective Chicago franchise in 2024. The Bears picked Williams No. 1 overall, while the Bulls took Buzelis with the No. 11 overall selection.
Since then, the two have been spotted together numerous times. Williams and Cubs star Pete Crow-Armstrong showed up at the United Center to support Buzelis when the Bulls hosted the Clippers in January. Earlier this month, Williams, Buzelis and Bulls rookie Caleb Wilson attended a Cubs game and met with Crow-Armstrong after the victory.
Jan 20, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, left, and Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong are seen during the first half of the game between the Chicago Bulls and the LA Clippers at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images Flashbacks to Derrick Rose
Williams' positive news comes as a sigh of relief for Chicago fans. Many noted that the despair surrounding his injury felt similar to when Bulls superstar guard Derrick Rose tore his ACL in 2012.
Rose was 23 years old and one year removed from becoming the youngest MVP in NBA history when he suffered the injury that altered his basketball career. He had led the Bulls to the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference and the best record in the NBA for the second consecutive year.
Similarly, Williams broke out last season and led the Bears to the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs, toppling the rival Green Bay Packers in the opening round with a massive 18-point comeback win. He hasn't quite gotten to Rose's level of being the best player in the league yet, but Williams has certainly shown the potential to reach those heights.
Whether he does so will depend on Williams' recovery, of course. But for now, it seems like the worst-case scenario has been avoided for the talented young passer.
