An NFL insider thinks Chicago Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams was a good teammate to even show up at practice this spring at all. The No. 1 pick in April’s draft had up-and-down performances at OTAs as he transitioned to life as a quarterback in the NFL.
Caleb Williams and his rookie teammates had extra practices
Following the draft, rookies are expected to show up and practice before veterans do. They have a rookie minicamp before voluntary OTAs and mandatory minicamp. The Bears had their rookies stay for a couple of extra practices following the mandatory minicamp in June.
The Chicago Bears took advantage of their rookies?
The Bears did so at the potential peril of Williams and Rome Odunze. The two first-round picks by the Bears have not yet been signed to their rookie deal. Because the fully guaranteed dollar amount has already been decided based on where a player is selected, Mike Florio with NBC Sports wrote that players should insist on signing their rookie deal before practicing in the spring to avoid taking an unnecessary risk:
Frankly, there’s no reason for any of the draft picks to not be signed at this point. All players should insist on getting their deals before setting foot on the practice field for the offseason program. More and more teams are getting their deals done quickly enough to give the players the full and complete four-year protection against a potential freak injury.
There are only three things that the CBA allows rookies and front offices to haggle over in a rookie contract: how much of the signing bonus is paid now versus deferred, potential voiding of guarantees for policy infractions, and offset guarantees if a player is eventually released with money left on their contract.
The Bears need to finalize their rookie deals ASAP
The Bears should have been able to hammer out a deal with Williams and Odunze before OTAs. We saw an injury affect Odunze, as he had to miss some practice time this spring because of hamstring tightness.
The Bears need to finalize Williams’ and Odunze’s contracts quickly. Williams is not obligated to show up to training camp if he doesn’t have a deal in place. He might not be as patient and generous in July as he was in June.
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