Prior to proudly donning the Bears jersey and embracing the windy city, Caleb Williams and his family were looking for avenues in which they could alter his destiny to find smoother paths to NFL success. One such avenue considered was to potentially join the United Football League to intentionally hurt his NFL draft stock.
Normally, a superstar prospect wants to be taken 1st overall, but not in this case. The reasoning is best described in his father’s declaration that “Chicago is the place quarterbacks go to die,” as described in ESPN writer Seth Wickersham’s upcoming book, American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback.
The Bears Quarterback Curse
Over the 105 years of the Chicago Bears’ history, there has never been a quarterback to pass for 4,000 yards in a season. The Bears’ quarterback carousel has been a revolving door of mediocrity and disappointment, with many examples of players not meeting expectations in situations that very few rookie quarterbacks would be set up to find success in.
Caleb Williams’ father, Carl Williams, is well aware of this history and told Wisckersham in the months leading up to the 2024 draft, “I don’t want my son playing for the Bears.” Caleb Williams also spoke on his doubts of being able to succeed under the Bears coaching staff featuring head coach Matt Eberflus and offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, whom Caleb stated, “Do I want to go there? I don’t think I can do it with Waldron.”
A UFL Gambit to Dodge the Draft
Caleb and his father explored loopholes to bypass the Bears’ ability to select him and control his future. Cale Williams said of the NFL’s CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) “The rookie cap is just unconstitutional,” and later referred to it as “the worst piece of s— I’ve ever read.”
In an effort to avoid the potential fear of Caleb being attached to the Bears for up to 8 years, they consulted lawyers, met with agents, and even drew inspiration from Archie Manning, who helped Eli Manning steer his 2004 draft fate.
But the boldest idea was to potentially have Caleb sign with a United Football League team and play there for 1 season, tanking his draft stock and hopefully resulting in the Bears not drafting him. If the Bears still drafted him, then Williams would have the potential to play elsewhere and re-enter the NFL as a free agent in 202,5, allowing him to pick his team.
Carl Williams told several agents, “I don’t want my son playing for the Bears.” Caleb Williams told his father
While it never happened, it is still humorous (unless you’re a Bears fan) to imagine a reality in which the Chicago Bears spend a first overall pick on Caleb Williams only for him to instead go play in the United Football League for a season before signing as a free agent with an NFL team. Instead, he ultimately made the smart choice and took the guaranteed money and embraced the journey of turning the Chicago Bears around.
Resigning to the Bears and a Chaotic Rookie Year
Caleb’s perspective shifted, however, after a pre-draft visit to the Bears’ facility. He told his father, “I can do it for this team. I’m going to go to the Bears,” boldly embracing the challenge of trying to succeed where many before him have failed. His rookie season was, however, chaotic as feared. The Bears fired Waldron after nine games, and Eberflus was fired after the opposite of a Thanksgiving Miracle saw horrendous clock management secure a defeat in Detroit amid a 10-game losing streak.
Caleb Williams also spoke of his experience in which he felt he lacked guidance from coaches, saying, “No one tells me what to watch, I just turn it on.”
A New Hope with Ben Johnson
There is now much optimism in Chicago following the hiring of Ben Johnson as head coach, who previously served as the Detroit Lions’ offensive coordinator. Johnson’s offense in Detroit averaged the best in the NFL from 2022 to 2024 at 29 points a game.
Caleb spoke on how he is looking forward to his future with the Bears following the Ben Johnson hiring, saying to reporters in January. “Being able to be in this position, being able to have a first year the way I did, ups and downs, and then to be able come in here, be as confident as I was last year or possibly even more and to be able to get here with the group that we have, I really can’t wait to get to work with these guys,”
Ben Johnson spoke highly of Caleb Williams on Colin Cowherd’s show “The Herd,” saying, “I see a chance for greatness here for him. He’s been communicated that way and he feels the same way. I don’t know what’s gone on prior to him joining the organization, but he is very proud to be a Chicago Bear. That’s what our conversations have included. He’s really excited to get to work right now and be the best version of himself for 2025.
Don’t worry, Bears fans, better times are ahead. Things are going to get easier. Unless, of course, the curse is real.
