It is widely assumed that the Chicago Bears will draft USC quarterback with the first overall pick in this month’s NFL Draft.
However, that hasn’t stopped some big-name voices in the football world – such as Deion Sanders and Robert Griffin III – from stating that Williams should refuse to play for the Bears.
Caleb Williams should pull an Eli Manning and tell the Chicago Bears I AIN’T COMING. pic.twitter.com/g9Mx1cggsA
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) March 18, 2024
As foolish of a move as that would be for Williams, variations of that “stance” have occurred before – notably with Eli Manning and John Elway.
Guided by his father Archie, Manning was strongly opposed to playing for the San Diego Chargers when he entered the draft back in 2004.
While he was drafted first overall by San Diego, he was traded moments later to the New York Giants and the rest is history.
Chargers: We select Eli Manning
Eli: pic.twitter.com/nK5yrpSGym
— RK (@RyanKoenigsberg) September 28, 2021
While with Elway, he famously stated that he had no interest in playing for the Baltimore Colts when he entered the draft as the most highly-touted player back in 1983.
Elway threatened to give up on football altogether and instead play baseball rather than play for the Colts.
Sure enough, he ended up finding his way to the Denver Broncos in a blockbuster trade – and the rest is history there as well.
39 years ago, Stanford's John Elway refused to play for the Baltimore Colts. pic.twitter.com/qOBf7wdWgJ
— Miles Commodore (@miles_commodore) July 3, 2022
Let’s go back in time and revisit the comments of legendary Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw.
“He didn’t want to go to a team that needed his services,” Bradshaw said of Elway at the time. “The thing in the National Football League is the team with the worst record gets an opportunity to improve by picking the best player. And Elway going to Baltimore would have helped them a lot.”
“By him saying, ‘I don’t want to do that,’ to me, it was a slap in the face to the draft and to the National Football League.”
“I could have come out of Louisiana when I was the first player picked and said, ‘Well, hold it. I don’t want to go up to Pittsburgh. It’s ugly, it’s cold, the people don’t understand a southern boy, and I want to be close to my mama.’ I could have done the same thing, but I didn’t … I went.”
“And the thing why I went was because they were 1-13. I said, ‘Well, I’ll go up there and I’ll make them a winner.’ And we did. So, the challenge of that and proving to him everybody that I was worthy of being the first draft choice was what inspired me to go on and do the things that we’ve done.”
“And for a guy like Elway to come and say, ‘Well, I want to be on the West Coast and I want to be on the beach and I’m a California boy.’ Well, who cares what you are, you know?”
“He said, ‘Well, I’ll play baseball.’ Play baseball. You should play baseball, because in my opinion, he’s not the kind of guy you win championships with. He never did it when he was at Stanford. I don’t think he’ll do it Denver and personally, don’t care if he ever does it.”
Terry Bradshaw on John Elway, 1983:
“… in my opinion, he's not the kind of guy you win championships with. He never did it when he was at Stanford. I don't think he'll do it in Denver, & personally, (I) don't care if he ever does it."pic.twitter.com/vl7NavZQJ2
— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) June 22, 2022
We all know how the story turned out. Elway went on to become one of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time and won back-to-back Supers Bowls in 1997 and 1998.
Much like Manning, the controversy surrounding Elway has long-quieted down.
Some people have even forgotten all about it.
DP disagrees with @RGIII that Caleb Williams should demand that the #Bears not take him.
"I think Chicago has done and will do right by Caleb Williams at least this year going in there."
RG3 will join us on the show tomorrow pic.twitter.com/DKY29OQMmE
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) March 19, 2024
What are your thoughts on Bradshaw’s past comments?
More importantly, what are your thoughts on the overall topic?
Should players at the very top of the draft pick and choose where they want to play???
(Although, I think we all know the answer to that question…)