The rumors of Caleb Williams' dissatisfaction with playing for the Chicago Bears were real. Details from an upcoming book reveal that he and his camp were weighing options and thinking about “blowing up the NFL Draft.” Williams and his family were consulting with lawyers about the NFL's collective bargaining agreement when the idea of signing with the United Football League also emerged.

Caleb's father, Carl Williams, told Seth Wickersham, author of the upcoming book American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback, in the months before the 2024 draft, “Chicago is the place quarterbacks go to die.”

According to Wickersham, Carl Williams exhausted all options to circumvent the NFL Draft and tried his best to give his son the ability to choose at least where he wanted to go.

The Chicago Bears had not drafted a quarterback that panned out since the 1980s, and their two most recent picks, Mitchell Trubisky and Justin Fields, struggled and did not work out in the long run.

When you combine that recent history with how the offense looked under the then-head coach, Matt Eberflus, Carl Williams was worried that his son would not have the organizational support he needed to succeed at a high level.

Despite the Bears having the top pick in the 2024 draft, Williams told several agents, “I don't want my son playing for the Bears.”

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Jan 5, 2025; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) during the game against the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
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Caleb Williams also talked to confidants leading up to the draft, saying, “Do I want to go there? I don't think I can do it with [former Bears offensive coordinator Shane] Waldron.”

Caleb Williams' Disappointing Rookie Season

Williams was drafted by the Chicago Bears and stayed in Chicago. However, he had a disappointing rookie year, with 20 passing touchdowns, 3,541 passing yards, six interceptions, and a 62.5% completion percentage. Shane Waldron and Matt Eberflus were fired, and then the Bears hired one of the best coaches available, Ben Johnson.

Ben Johnson is the perfect coach to ensure Caleb Williams develops on the correct trajectory. This season should see a much larger jump for Williams despite the new offense. It will fit what he is best at much better, and Johnson will also be able to put him in the best position to succeed, something that was missing last season.