After months away from live action, Caleb Williams finally stepped back under center in August 2024 against the Buffalo Bills. It was his first game since November 2023, when he wrapped up his college career at USC. But once the Chicago Bears won the toss and chose to receive, the QB didn’t look rattled. Instead, he walked out with a calm confidence, soaking it all in. For Williams, it wasn’t just a preseason snap, it was the moment he’d been waiting for. That’s why he said, “It felt good.” But did it really? Because now, a new report claims that the QB and his family weren’t too thrilled about the Bears in the first place.
On Thursday, ESPN’s Seth Wickersham joined The Rich Eisen Show to talk about his upcoming book – ‘American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback.’ For context, this book reveals some unseen past where Caleb Williams and his family tried to avoid getting drafted by the Bears. Hence, speaking more about it, the book author said, “I think that, like Carl (Williams, Caleb’s father), has been very clear publicly about his opinions of the NFL draft process. And the fact that the worst team drafts the best player, and he was looking for ways around it because he saw a system where his son was locked into the team that drafted him, like all number one picks are for basically eight years. And so, he was trying to find a way around it.” But the question is, why?
Why Carl and Caleb Williams weren’t eyeing the Bears, despite the highest possibility per the Mock Draft of 2024? Well, Wickersham tried to search answer to that, and he received one. As per Carl, “Chicago is where quarterbacks go to die.” The author further added a couple of reasons for that, saying, “The Bears haven’t had a great history when it comes to quarterbacks. We know that they haven’t drafted a star since Jim McMahon. That was in the 80s. And even recent guys like Justin Fields and Mitch Trubisky hadn’t panned out. So when you look at the organizational stability, the offensive expertise, and performance that was under Matt Eberflus, and just some other issues like, you know, the stadium uncertainty, that type of thing, this is what led them to wonder out loud about that.” That’s blunt.
However, let us tell you one more fact. The Bears have been around forever, literally all 105 NFL seasons, and still, not one quarterback has ever thrown for 4,000 yards in a season. That’s crazy, isn’t it? And yeah, passing yards aren’t everything, but come on, it says a lot. It shows how badly Chicago has struggled to find and grow a real franchise QB. That’s why Caleb Williams, who went No. 1 overall in 2024, actually looked for ways to avoid landing there. He didn’t want to become just another name in their long, messy quarterback history.
But destiny had some other plans for him, as he got drafted by the franchise. It’s also because general manager Ryan Poles was firm on his decision to select the QB, who called him and said, “We’re drafting you no matter what,” just ahead of the draft. Nevertheless, son Williams, who was a bit convinced with his fate, talked to his dad, and said, “I can do it for this team. I’m going to go to the Bears.” And he joined happily, finishing his rookie season with 351 of 562 passes for 3,541 yards and 20 touchdowns.
However, if it hadn’t been the Bears, Caleb Williams would have loved to land with one team – or maybe, even take a completely different path.
Which team did Caleb Williams want to join, if not the Bears?
Before Caleb Williams ever suited up for Chicago, there was serious hesitation behind the scenes. He and his dad, Carl, didn’t buy into the Bears. As per ESPN’s Seth Wickersham’s book, they even looked into skipping the NFL Draft altogether. That’s how unsure they were!
At one point, they also explored sending Caleb to the UFL. Yes! Just to avoid Chicago. Besides the above reasons for this hesitation, Wickersham revealed that the Williams family wasn’t feeling Shane Waldron’s offense. Their gut feeling proved right when Waldron got fired midseason after a blowout loss. But instead of the Bears, what Caleb really wanted? The answer to this is: Minnesota Vikings!
After a strong connection with Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell at the combine, Caleb Williams told his dad that he needed to “go to the Vikings.” So, they thought about pushing for a trade, but in the end, Caleb couldn’t bring himself to torch the whole thing. “I wasn’t ready to nuke the city,” he said. Still, those doubts? They were real.
And the Bears’ messy track record with quarterbacks didn’t help either. Nevertheless, now that he is in Chicago, he is hoping to turn the tables around. Something which hasn’t happened for years!
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