The Chicago Bears’ abundance of riches this off-season has been well-documented.
They’ll be walking into April’s NFL draft with the no. 1 overall pick (thanks to last year’s mega-deal with the Carolina Panthers), as well as their own no. 9 pick in the first round. This means two impact players will come aboard this year and, most believe, one of them will be the top quarterback prospect, USC’s Caleb Williams.
The team also has quarterback Justin Fields still around, ready to be dealt for even more draft capital.
Everything seems to be lining up perfectly for a monster draft, one where Chicago’s future standing as a potential elite team of the future could be secured.
Except…
Chicago Bears: Trouble With Their Treasure?
Recent occurrences are raising some flags as to whether the Bears’ dash to the figurative end zone will be significantly more complicated than what was expected to be an unchallenged high-step fun run to a score.
According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, Williams has decided to put off a Top 30 visit this week at Halas Hall until after USC’s pro day on March 20. This means that the Bears will be unable to perform a medical exam on Williams until after that date. And, given that Williams decided to forego medical examination at the combine in Indianapolis, this sticks Chicago with an unexpected and, perhaps, crucial swerve in their apparent plans, especially when it comes to Justin Fields.
By all accounts, the Bears were hoping to get a deal done for Fields as soon as possible and, certainly, before March 13, when free agency starts. After this surprise move, the shopping spree of free agency will have kicked off for over a week by the time Chicago is assured of Williams’ field-ready health. By then, some of the quarterback-hungry teams, who could’ve been in on a trade for Fields, may have already signed a free agent QB and would no longer be in the market for a big-ticket signal caller.
That’s certainly a major inconvenience and it could impact how much of a return the Bears would get for Fields. Some, however, see something more sinister behind Williams’ recent decisions to forego medical exams and not showcase his skills at the combine.
Something More Sinister at Play?
Bears YouTube analyst Adam Mason sees these moves as, possibly, a behind-the-scenes ploy to get the Bears to pass on Williams and, perhaps, open up the possibility of the Washington Commanders drafting Williams instead.
“Everything I’m learning screams to me that Kliff Kingsbury and the Commanders are pulling all the puppet strings with Caleb to get the desired outcome they want,” Mason wrote via Twitter/X. “It sounds like foul play going on in the background…The kind you can’t prove and teams won’t get in trouble for.”
There’s every reason to believe that the DC-area native, Williams– despite words to the contrary and a professed love of Michael Jordan, Walter Payton, and deep dish pizza– might prefer playing in Washington over Chicago. Most importantly, the Commanders’ new offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury worked closely with Williams as a senior offensive analyst at USC. Williams and his father, who plays a big role in his career, have shown an affinity for choosing to play where there’s a greater comfort level.
Mason’s theory is certainly a controversial hot take and, maybe, a bit of a reach. But, regardless of whether there’s something underhanded going on or not, Williams’ recent decisions are putting Chicago in a tough spot.
The Bears may have to take less for Justin Fields than what they anticipated. They may also have to call an audible when it comes to the draft if it’s determined that maybe Williams would prefer to be a Commander.
