Fathers of prominent quarterbacks have a somewhat complicated history in the NFL. Jack Elway encouraged his son John Elway to threaten playing baseball if the Baltimore Colts drafted him in 1983. Archie Manning did the same for Eli when the San Diego Chargers held the #1 pick in 2004. Both quarterbacks ended up getting their wish, being traded to other organizations. Many felt Caleb Williams might do the same, encouraged by his notoriously present father, Carl Williams. Some teams feared he might try to hijack the draft by demanding the Bears trade his son elsewhere.
Understandably, GM Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus’ fact-finding mission involved learning what they were getting into with the elder Williams. According to Albert Breer of the MMQB, the information they collected wasn’t nearly as alarming as some made it out to be. While Carl Williams is 100% dedicated to doing what’s best for his son, that doesn’t include meddling in football-related decisions. His focus is on putting his son in a premium position for long-term financial success.
In essence, he’s operating as Caleb’s agent.
“In interviewing then USC assistant Kliff Kingsbury for their offensive coordinator job in Los Angeles in January, the Bears did a ton of fact-finding. Kingsbury described a player beloved by his coaches and teammates, and also gave the Bears very real insight into Williams’s father, and how involved he was. The quarterback’s dad, Kingsbury told them, was sharp, and someone that Williams leaned on a lot business-wise. But the father left the football part to his kid; Kingsbury explained to Chicago he saw the dad maybe once last year at USC’s practice facility.”
The Bears don’t seem bothered by Caleb Williams’ family presence.
Poles was even seen conversing with Carl during USC’s pro day. It appears the team has come to understand what to expect from that dynamic. The odds are good that they will encounter him whenever contract-related issues come up, such as his rookie deal after the draft and (maybe) his contract extension a few years from now. Poles is no stranger to such negotiations. If Mr. Williams is as smart as they say, the Bears can merely treat him as if he were an agent. He will do everything in his power to get the best possible deal for his client.
That would explain why the Bears have only become more and more convinced Caleb Williams is their guy in the following weeks. They love the tape and every meeting with him in person has gone well. Carl Williams was the only variable that some feared might make the USC star somewhat radioactive. That wasn’t the case. It is a somewhat unique situation, but one the Bears seem more than willing to work with. Being flexible to a player’s situation is part of what makes certain organizations successful.
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As I stated several weeks ago, you did not want to react to the father, but to subtly assess or test him without any notice, making sure there was neither challenge nor disrespect.
And, we can be assured that Manning’s father and Elway’s father were considerably smarter than Carl Williams.
I hope this report is true because I think it is very good news. Throughout the process of deciding on whether or not to draft Williams, I was worried that his father could be one of the biggest obstacles against drafting him. Sounds like that wasn’t the case at all and I was worried for no reason.
I hoped he’s learned from watching the Ball brothers father that there’s lines that shouldn’t be crossed. Ultimately it’s your sons life, let him enjoy his future success. He’s the one on the field not you.