Seth Wickersham of ESPN wrote a book all about the quarterback position, from the older generations to the current one. Among the most explosive sections of it involved Caleb Williams. He spoke with the USC star about his upcoming entry into the 2024 draft and soon discovered an uncomfortable truth. Williams didn’t want to go to the Chicago Bears. He and his father had done loads of research on the possibility and were less than impressed. The organization had a long, tortured history at the position, often brought about by its own mistakes.
Rather than risk becoming another of their many failure, Williams explored the possibility of maneuvering his way out of the situation, whether it be holding out if the Bears took him or even threatening to go to the UFL instead. GM Ryan Poles and the organization ultimately convinced him that the challenge of turning things around was worth the risk. Williams finally took to the podium on Wednesday, a week after the story came out. Rather than wait for the question, he chose to address it unprompted.
He made a few things crystal clear.
He’s not focused on the past. Addressing it today is meant to put it to bed.
It’s not like he was forced to come here. After meeting the team, he wanted to.
He is here to win and turn things around. That is everybody in the building’s goal now.
As to his father, the man might be proactive in helping his son, but Caleb is the one making the decisions.
Despite his rough first year, his confidence remains unshaken.
Caleb Williams again showed his maturity under media scrutiny.
It would’ve been easy for him to dodge another press conference or just say “Next question” if anybody asked about it. He was smart enough to know that wouldn’t have worked. People would’ve started wondering if there was more to the story than the report brought to light. Caleb Williams understands the media well enough not to let that happen. His only course was to address it directly. He handled it well. There was never a sense that he was out of his depth. The quarterback took the questions, answered them, and maintained the same message from the beginning. It is another reminder that the Bears chose well. They needed somebody who could handle things like this. Chicago is a top media market. Big stories will surface at some point. Handling the spotlight is critical. Williams passed a big test.
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