Quarterback Caleb Williams has made headlines for his scathing pre-draft appraisal of the Chicago Bears. However, Bears fans shouldn’t be shocked at how Williams and his family viewed the organization.
In an upcoming book from ESPN’s Seth Wickersham titled, ‘American Kings: A Biography of a Quarterback,’ it is revealed that Williams considered refusing to play for Chicago. He wanted the Bears to trade their pick to the Minnesota Vikings and even considered playing in the UFL to avoid Chicago and the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement all together.
“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 book confirms.
Ultimately, general manager Ryan Poles told Williams that the Bears wouldn’t trade their pick and that they were selecting him. After visiting Chicago’s facilities, the quarterback decided to forgo any plans of “nuking” the franchise and refusing to play, instead choosing to buy-in.
“I can do it for this team,” Caleb told his dad. “I’m going to go to the Bears.”
Bears fans might be shocked immediately after reading that piece. Williams clearly wanted to go the Vikings, but he mainly wanted to be anywhere that wasn’t Chicago. If the quarterback truly took the UFL route simply to avoid playing for the Bears, it would forever be a dark stain on the organization.
But when you take a step back and think about the state of the franchise, it makes sense why Williams would have been reluctant to join the Bears.
Why Caleb Williams was right to distrust Chicago Bears
At the time, Matt Eberflus was Chicago’s head coach. He was 10-24 heading into the 2024 campaign with the Bears not coming close to the playoffs. Ultimately, Eberflus became the first head coach fired midseason after a 4-8 start. It makes sense that a potential No. 1 pick wasn’t excited about playing for Eberflus.
But Chicago’s struggles predate their last head coach. They haven’t made the playoffs since 2020 and haven’t won a postseason game since 2010. It’s understandable that a team drafting at number one has fallen on hard times. However, there wasn’t much positive momentum shining on the Bears at the time of Williams’ arrival.
Furthermore, Chicago hasn’t necessarily been lauded for their ability to develop quarterbacks. Since 2020, the Bears have had seven different players under center. There have been droughts where veterans like Nick Foles and Andy Dalton have had to step in. But what concerned Williams more is how the team handled Mitch Trubisky and Justin Fields.
Trubisky was the No. 2 overall pick in 2017, the same draft where Patrick Mahomes went No. 10 overall. The quarterback went 29-21 under center in Chicago and was even named to a Pro Bowl. However, Trubisky never developed into the franchise QB the Bears needed him to be; especially living in Mahomes’ shadow. He left the team after his rookie contract expired.
Fields tantalized with his rushing ability while with the Bears. However, he held just a 10-28 record as a starter and overall failed to develop as a starter. Chicago traded Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers once they acquired the No. 1 overall pick, ala Williams.
Both Fields and Trubisky struggled in their own rights, they’ll both go down at draft busts. However, the fact that the Bears have consistently been unable to develop first-round quarterbacks, especially through numerous regimes, is extremely telling. It makes sense Williams would be more interesting going to a franchise with an offensive-minded coach who knows how to build quarterbacks – like Kevin O’Connell on the Vikings.
Overall, it does sting to see your quarterback originally wanted nothing to do with the organization. But Williams’ thought process makes total sense looking at the state of the Bears. With Ben Johnson in place, and the quarterback seemingly locked in, Chicago is ready to put the fiasco behind them and get back to winning.
Chicago Bears GM put Caleb Williams in a hostage situation: Report
Read MoreFor More Great Chicago Sports Content
Get the latest Chicago sports news, analysis, and breaking stories on the Bears, Bulls, Blackhawks, Cubs, White Sox, Sky, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, so you never miss a story on your favorite Chicago teams.
Follow us on Twitter at @chicitysports23 for more great content. We appreciate you taking time to read our articles. To interact more with our community and keep up to date on the latest in Chicago sports news, JOIN OUR FREE FACEBOOK GROUP by CLICKING HERE
