Bears QB Caleb Williams Explains Why It's 'Freeing' Wearing His Signature Nail Polish on Madden NFL 27 Cover (Exclusive)

Caleb Williams named EA SPORTS Madden NFL 27 Cover Athlete. Credit: EA SPORTS; Michael Owens/GettyNEED TO KNOWCaleb Williams spoke with PEOPLE exclusively about being named the cover star of EA Sports Madden NFL 27 • >The Chicago Bears quarterback opened up about his decision to wear his signature nail polish in the photoshoot • >He became the first Bears player in franchise history to land the cover of the iconic gameNailed it!

>Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams opened up to PEOPLE exclusively about why he feels it's "freeing" to wear his signature painted nails on the front of EA Sports Madden NFL 27 as the newly announced cover athlete.

>The former first-overall pick, 24, suited up in his navy home jersey for the shoot, which makes him the first player in Bears history to appear on a Madden cover. He wore his full uniform for the first time since the Bears' divisional round playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Jan. 18, and a detail personal to him: nail polish.

Caleb Williams named EA SPORTS Madden NFL 27 cover athlete. Credit: EA SPORTS"Yeah, they make it — or course they make it," Williams told PEOPLE exclusively of whether his iconic manicured nails made the Madden cover while speaking about the photos he shot for the coveted opportunity that fulfilled his "childhood dream."

>"I like to do those nails in big moments," he explained. "I try and save them for big moments because if I do them all year round, I run out of ideas. I typically save them for the season or big moments, and that was one of those big moments."

>Williams has turned heads for wearing nail polish with unique art on each finger during games since being drafted in 2024, and has been open about why he still sports it despite the negative reaction expressed by critics who are against it.

>When the time came to shoot the cover, Williams' manicure move was an easy decision.

A detail view of quarterback Caleb Williams #18 of the Chicago Bears. Credit: Todd Rosenberg/Getty (2)"That's what's cool about Madden and EA and the cast that we had there. They wanted me to be myself... they wanted that energy," Williams told PEOPLE of the team encouraging him to be himself for the moment, which is widely considered one of the highest off-the-field honors for an NFL player.

>"We want you to be you, we want you to do as you do. We want you to wear what you wear on game day, we want you to dress how you dress, we want you to do this because we want it to be the most real version," he recalled. "It's nice, it's freeing — and obviously, they were a great staff to work with."

>Williams struck his signature "Iceman" pose on one of the covers, which he said brings back "some retro vibes." He crossed his arms on his chest with his nails on full display, each with a different football-related design: EA Sports logo, NFL emblem, Bears initials, among others.

Caleb Williams named EA SPORTS Madden NFL 27 cover athlete. Credit: EA SPORTSWilliams expresses himself through nail polish "stemmed from" his mom, who is a nail technician. While he said he hasn't spoken to her about what this major moment to represent in this way means to her, he hopes he makes her proud.

>"She's been a part of it... she's been a reason for it," he said. "I think being able to share that moment with her, being able to let her know that I hope that she's raised a young, confident man in himself — I think that will bring a lot of joy to her. Actually, I will ask her here soon."

>Williams is shaping the game in more ways than one with several career-defining moments to his name. He set a rookie record with 354 consecutive passes without an interception, won the NFL Moment of the Year and holds the Bears franchise single-season passing record, to name a few.

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Caleb Williams #18 of the Chicago Bears stands on the sidelines during the national anthem prior to an NFL divisional playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams at Soldier Field on Jan. 18, 2026. Credit: Brooke Sutton/GettyThe Bears quarterback knows he's in the spotlight, and he's confidently at the ready to take on hits both on and off the field. As an athlete, he jokes he's also in the "entertainment business" because comments online are "entertaining" to him.

>"I think it's enjoyable to be able to see all the hate, but also enjoyable to people who may now step outside their comfort zone... because somebody on a national stage is getting a bunch of heat," he said, adding, "especially males, because I'm speaking from that perspective."

>Williams hopes that others will look to him as an example on how to "handle it" and "stand tall" in being himself, despite what others think.

Caleb Williams #18 of the Chicago Bears. Credit: Todd Rosenberg/Getty (2)"I hope that it's important for one person and hopefully more to be able to see that," he shared. "If it's good enough for one person to see some of the things that I see in a positive standpoint, then it's good enough for me to make sure I keep going — other than the fact that it is me."

>He added, "It's something that I've done as a child to now."

>Williams enters this season with a 90 overall rating in the game after throwing for 3,942 yards and 27 touchdowns last season, setting the Bears' single-season franchise record for passing yards, and leading the team to their first division title since 2018 and their first playoff victory since 2010.

>The Bears star is the first quarterback to land the EA Sports Madden cover since Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills in Madden 24.

>"It's a huge milestone," he said of the honor. "It's going to go up in the trophy room for me for when I'm older and I have kids, I get to tell them I was on a cover of their favorite football game... it's another dream of mine that has been checked off."

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