Dan Campbell Warned Refs About Lions' Plans to Hit Bears QB Caleb Williams

Caleb Williams took a vicious hit from linebacker Jack Campbell on Thanksgiving when he decided not to run out of bounds during the Chicago Bears game against the Detroit Lions.

In the moment it looked like Campbell might have gotten lucky that Williams tried to turn up field rather than go to the sideline because he did not appear to be giving any consideration to not hitting Williams at full speed. On the latest episode of the St. Brown Podcast, Detroit wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown revealed to his brother that the hit happened because of head coach Dan Campbell who had already warned the officials that something like this was going to happen.

"He goes, 'If he does this, we're going to hit his a**. I already warned the refs, the refs know.'"

Amon-Ra St. Brown said Dan Campbell told the Lions to hit Caleb Williams if he's not clearly going out of bounds. pic.twitter.com/lI3neK7LlI
— St. Brown Podcast (@StBrownPodcast) December 4, 2024

"The craziest part," St. Brown said, "is before the game, or in our team meeting, Dan was talking to us and he was showing clips of Caleb like going out of bounds, going back in, going out. He said no you don't."

Campbell had shown the team video of Williams faking going out to try and turn up field the way that Patrick Mahomes did earlier this season with much greater success. Campbell told the team to be prepared. "If he does this we're going to hit his ass. And he said I already warned the refs. The refs know."

Campbell was right. Williams didn't go out, the LIons were ready and the quarterback paid the price. Just another example of Campbell pushing all the right buttons this season as the Lions have rolled to 11-1 and the best record in the NFC.