INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (670 The Score) — Prized quarterback prospect Caleb Williams understands the situation he'd find himself in if he's selected No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft by the Bears. In that case, he would land with a franchise that has a tortured quarterback history and which has desperately sought a star at the position.
There are great expectations for Williams in Chicago, and it's a challenge he’s eager to embrace should it come to fruition.
"I'm my own player,” Williams said Friday at the NFL Combine. “I tend to like to create history and rewrite history."
Williams met with the Bears at the NFL Combine earlier this week as the franchise’s decision-makers continue to conduct their pre-draft process while holding the No. 1 overall pick. While the Bears will continue on with their due diligence, the expectation continues to grow that Chicago will keep the No. 1 overall pick and select Williams with it on April 25, when the NFL Draft begins in Detroit.
Before then, the Bears’ scouting brass will also evaluate other coveted quarterback prospects like Drake Maye (North Carolina) and Jayden Daniels (LSU), but Williams is widely viewed as the top arm in this class and also a rare prospect.
For his part, Williams hasn’t considered being selected anywhere other than No. 1 overall.
“I’ve put in all the hard work, all the time, effort, energy into being that,” Williams said. “I don’t think of a Plan B.”
The 22-year-old Williams was the Heisman Trophy winner in 2022 at USC and has drawn lofty comparisons to the likes of Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Williams transferred from Oklahoma following the 2021 season, then threw for 73 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 26 games with USC.
The Bears held the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft but traded it to the Panthers, who sent a haul back to Chicago that included their first-round pick in 2024. Following the Panthers' NFL-worst 2-15 campaign, the Bears found themselves back at the top of the draft.
The opportunity to select the talented Williams has made it likely that the Bears will trade three-year starting quarterback Justin Fields, likely before free agency opens on March 13. That would clear the way for Williams to become Chicago’s new starting quarterback.
“This is an opportunity for us to continue to gather information, learn about the different players in the draft, listen to what opportunities could come up and then at the end of the day, we're going to make the best decision that we can for the Chicago Bears,” general manager Ryan Poles said Tuesday. “It will not be based on fear of what could happen with this and what could happen with that. We're going to put our information together and make the best decision because at the end of the day, we'll always throw our decision-making against our core deal, which is win championships and sustain success for a long period of time.
“If we go down that road, I want to do right by Justin as well. No one wants to live in grey, I know that's uncomfortable. I wouldn't want to be in that situation either. So, we will gather the information, we will move as quickly as possible, we are not going to be in a rush and see what presents itself and what's best for the organization."
Williams won't participate in drills at the NFL Combine this week and has declined to be measured and medically tested through the league's protocols. Instead, he plans to allow medical evaluations for only the teams that he visits during the pre-draft process.
Following the structure of the NFL Combine, the Bears’ meeting with Williams earlier this week was brief. But the team will have additional opportunities to sit down with Williams and other prospects at their pro days and through invitations to Halas Hall.
As Williams meets with the Bears, he’s seeking the answer to one key question: Are they ready to win?
“I just want to go to a place that wants to win,” Williams said. “The whole 360, from the top all the way to the guys and down to the janitors, the people that make everything run. Just everybody wants to win, everybody is a part of that and we all take care of each other.
“I don’t play for fame. I don’t play for money. I don’t play for jewels and things like that. It’s to go out there and win as many games as possible and be the best that I can.”
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670 .
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