Caleb Williams may now be the face of the Chicago Bears franchise, but according to a new book, that was far from his preferred outcome ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft.
In excerpts from American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback by Seth Wickersham, shared by ESPN, it’s revealed that Williams and his father, Carl, were deeply skeptical about the Bears organization – so much so that they reportedly explored drastic options to avoid the team entirely.
“Chicago is the place quarterbacks go to die,” Carl Williams bluntly stated in the book, referencing the franchise’s long history of failing to develop successful passers.
Despite being the consensus No. 1 pick, Caleb Williams had serious concerns about the Bears’ offensive infrastructure – specifically then-offensive coordinator Shane Waldron.
“Do I want to go there? I don’t think I can do it with [former Bears offensive coordinator Shane] Waldron,” Williams is quoted as saying.
Instead, he expressed interest in joining the Minnesota Vikings after meeting with head coach Kevin O’Connell.
But the Bears, holding the top pick, were unwavering. General manager Ryan Poles reportedly told Williams, “We’re drafting you no matter what.”
Faced with limited leverage, Williams ultimately chose not to push for a trade or create public friction. “I wasn’t ready to nuke the city,” he told his father.
The situation in Chicago didn’t help ease their concerns once the season began.
The book paints a picture of a chaotic rookie year marred by coaching disarray. Matt Eberflus, the team’s head coach, was fired in November after a series of high-profile blunders – most notably mismanaging a late-game situation against Washington that led to a game-winning Hail Mary from rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.
Eberflus also mishandled the end of multiple other games, including a blocked field goal after questionable clock management against the Packers and failing to call a timeout following a sack in the final seconds of a Thanksgiving loss to the Lions.
Waldron, the offensive coordinator Williams had already expressed doubts about, was also let go midseason.
According to Wickersham, the quarterback felt abandoned in his development process. “No one tells me what to watch,” Williams reportedly said. “I just turn it on,” describing film sessions he conducted without any coaching staff support.
Carl Williams, growing more concerned, even met with Archie Manning – the father of Eli Manning, who famously maneuvered his way out of San Diego in 2004 – and considered leveraging a United Football League contract to free Caleb from the NFL Draft’s constraints.
Still, the USC product ultimately accepted his fate, telling his father after a pre-draft meeting, “I can do it for this team. I’m going to go to the Bears.”
Chicago finished 2024 at the bottom of the NFC North with a 5-12 record, but there’s cautious optimism heading into Williams’ sophomore season.
The Bears overhauled the offensive line this offseason, signing veterans Joe Thuney, Drew Dalman, and Jonah Jackson. They also added playmakers Luther Burden III and Colston Loveland in the draft to complement a core that already includes DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, and Cole Kmet.
Most importantly, the team brought in former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson as head coach – giving Williams the kind of offensive-minded leadership that’s been missing from the franchise for decades.
If the new structure holds, the concerns Caleb and Carl Williams voiced before the draft may soon become distant memories.
Having said that, the sting of this new revelation is currently being felt in a big way by a Bears fanbase that feels a bit disrespected.
There were already entitlement concerns about Williams entering the 2024 draft. He and his father reportedly requested an ownership stake in whichever team drafted him. (Think about that…)
The bottom line is 2025 is a brand new year for Williams and he’ll be entering the season on a clean slate … Having said that, how exactly should Chicago fans feel about this stunning new report???
