One rumor surrounding Caleb Williams has refused to die since it began a couple of months ago. As it became clear the Chicago Bears would likely end up with the #1 pick in the 2024 draft, there were rumblings that the USC quarterback might try to force his way out of coming here. It stemmed from the Bears’ long history of struggling to develop quarterbacks. It would be another John Elway and Eli Manning situation. Those #1 picks took similar approaches, ending up in Denver and New York. It appears Colin Cowherd of The Herd is hearing the same on Wiliams from his own sources.
Much of the situation centers around the fact Washington is picking #2. Wiliams is from the D.C. area. He wants to come home. Maybe by threatening to stay away if the Bears pick him, he can force their hand, leading to a trade between the two teams. The truth is even if there is a nugget of truth to this, Williams has little leverage. He already declared for the draft. If the Bears pick him and he decides not to show up, he can’t go back to college. He can’t exactly go play baseball like Elway could’ve. Not to mention, he’d be missing out on millions of dollars.
Caleb Williams will have to make this stance clear.
The truth is Cowherd likely doesn’t have a firm grasp on the truth. He rarely does. The only person who can make this idea a reality is Williams himself. That is what people forget about the Elway and Manning situations. They had no issues declaring well before the draft that they did not want to land with the Colts or Chargers, respectively. No such thing has come from Williams or his camp. Nothing even close to official. It’s all been vague rumors up to this point. Until that changes, it’s fair to presume he has no issues playing in Chicago.
Besides, it’s not like he’d be walking into a dumpster fire. The Bears have a strong, ascending defense. Something he never had at USC. He’d have a solid offensive line to help protect him and a star wide receiver to lean on in D.J. Moore. Caleb Williams shouldn’t be too eager to go to Washington. They just overhauled their entire power structure and have a myriad of roster holes to fix. That is especially true along the offensive line. The Bears aren’t perfect, but they’re far better equipped to help a young QB grow.
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