With the first pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears selected Caleb Williams, quarterback, out of USC. Of course, this was expected by many fans with Williams being generally regarded as the best quarterback in his class, one ripe with talent at the position.
The selection of Williams was, of course, most welcomed by Bears fans, who have been starving for a quality quarterback under center for decades. Despite picking early in the first round in multiple drafts over this time, Chicago never was able to hit on a quarterback, watching former first round Mitch Trubisky and Justin Fields flame out.
And while the Bears finished a measly 5-12 in 2024, Williams put together one of the best seasons by a quarterback in franchise history, completing 62.5% of his passes for 3,541 yards, 20 touchdowns, six interceptions, and an 87.8 passer rating.
Indeed, with the addition of new head coach Ben Johnson, Chicago finally seems to be putting it all together. But Williams almost refused to go there.
Caleb Williams Did Not Want to Get Drafted by the Chicago Bears
Williams became a fan-favorite from the instant he was drafted by the Bears, and even more so after his impressive rookie season. However, a new report by ESPN states that the marriage between the Heisman Trophy winner and Chicago almost never took place:
Quarterback Caleb Williams was so concerned about being picked by the Chicago Bears in 2024 that he and his family weighed circumventing the entire NFL draft, consulting with lawyers to figure out a way around the league’s collective bargaining agreement while considering signing with the United Football League, details from a forthcoming book reveal.
“Chicago is the place quarterbacks go to die,” Carl Williams, Caleb’s father, told Seth Wickersham, author of “American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback,” in the months before the 2024 draft.
Caleb Williams wondered aloud to confidants: “Do I want to go there? I don’t think I can do it with [former Bears offensive coordinator Shane] Waldron.”
The report, and upcoming book, detail how Williams and his father considered circumventing the NFL Draft. Williams would have played a year in the UFL and then signed with a NFL team of his choosing afterwards.
Former NFL MVP Boomer Esiason Tells Chicago Bears Quarterback Caleb Williams to Shut His Mouth
As one might have expected, fans and analysts had a great deal to say about this bombshell report. What made it worse is that, according to the report, Williams, who grew up a fan of the Green Bay Packers, wanted to be drafted by one of Chicago’s other division rivals, the Minnesota Vikings.
Former NFL MVP Boomer Esiason was one of the people who chimed in on the situation:
“Keep your mouth shut. You’re going into the greatest league that there’s ever been for the sport we all love. You’re going to have a chance one day to make $500 million because guys like me and guys before me all went on strike so you could actually make more money. So keep your piehole shut and go out and play football and earn your keep and earn your respect.”
These are certainly strong words from the former four-time Pro Bowler, who did indeed help current players get lucrative contracts with the work that he and others did in regard to labor relations in the NFL.
Despite his solid season as a rookie in 2025, it appears that Williams will need to win some fans back, as well as the respect of former players, by remaining committed to the team that drafted him while playing at a high level.
More Chicago Bears News from Gridiron Heroics
- REPORT: Caleb Williams Wanted to Be a Viking Before Critical Ryan Poles Decision
- “I Don’t Want To;” Caleb Williams Enrages Fans With Horrible Comment Leaked to Public
- Bears React to Big Games vs the Eagles and Packers
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