While most viewed Caleb Williams as the top quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft class, concerns about Carl Williams “helping his son with the off-field stuff” hovered over the signal-caller before the Chicago Bears made him the first overall pick of the player-selection process.
According to an ESPN story, author Seth Wickersham detailed in his upcoming book entitled “American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback” how the Williams family considered attempting to ensure the 23-year-old wouldn’t end up in Chicago.
Per the book that is set to be published in September, Caleb Williams and his family spoke with lawyers about possibly finding a way around the NFL/NFL Players Association collective bargaining agreement so that the former USC star could eventually choose his future NFL home. The ESPN piece notes that Carl Williams “even considered whether his son could sign with the United Football League and become an unrestricted NFL free agent in 2025 to be able to pick a team.”
Additionally, Caleb Williams allegedly wanted to land with the Minnesota Vikings after he met with Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell during the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine. Bears general manager Ryan Poles reportedly told Williams that Chicago was making him the No. 1 pick of the draft “no matter what,” and Williams later became sold on trying to be part of the Bears’ turnaround following a predraft visit to their team facility.
For a GQ article posted in September 2023, Carl Williams said that Caleb could “come back to school” if the family thought the team that held the first pick of the 2024 draft was “not a good situation” for the young prospect. Now-retired offensive tackle and three-time Pro Bowl selection Taylor Lewan later said he “did not get a good vibe from” Caleb Williams after the quarterback completed no medical evaluations at the combine, and Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson warned Williams in March 2024 not to “bring that Hollywood stuff into” the team’s building.
Johnson attempted to clarify those comments on multiple occasions after Chicago drafted Williams.
More recently, Williams admitted earlier this spring he was brought to tears during what became a frustrating rookie campaign that included the in-season firings of offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and head coach Matt Eberflus. Williams also told Esquire’s Brian O’Keefe that he’s “definitely excited” to learn from new head coach and former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.
What’s done is done, and there’s no sign the Bears would consider trading Williams at any point before the 2025 season gets underway. That said, one wonders how Chicago fans will react if their QB1, who seemingly wanted to play for a division rival, endures a lackluster sophomore campaign as part of Johnson’s offense.
