Sports
It’s not uncommon for NFL prospects to have strong preferences when it comes to their future teams. But what Caleb Williams and his camp tried before the 2024 NFL Draft might surprise a lot of fans-and sound familiar to history buffs.
Back in 1983, John Elway made it crystal clear he didn’t want to play for the Baltimore Colts. His family helped him leverage his baseball talent as a bargaining chip, and the strategy worked. Elway ended up in Denver, where he became a Hall of Famer. Now, a new book suggests Caleb Williams and his father, Carl, tried pulling off something similar to avoid landing in Chicago.
Caleb Williams goes viral after pulling up to Miami hotspot with three stunning models
In American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback, ESPN’s Seth Wickersham reveals that Caleb and Carl quietly explored ways to steer clear of the Bears’ No. 1 pick. The concern? A long-standing fear that the franchise simply couldn’t develop a star quarterback. Carl reportedly referred to the team as a “quarterback graveyard”-and looking at the history, it’s hard to argue.
Unlike Elway, the Williams duo didn’t go public with their concerns. No interviews, no baseball threats-just private conversations with advisors, debating whether a behind-the-scenes strategy could push Chicago to pass on Caleb. Wickersham told The Rich Eisen Show that they considered making the situation “untenable,” but ultimately kept things quiet.
Behind the Scenes: How the Williams Family Tried to Dodge the Windy City
What changed? A visit to Halas Hall. Caleb reportedly clicked with teammates and warmed up to the Bears’ revamped direction, especially with the hiring of offensive-minded head coach Ben Johnson. Whatever hesitations the Williams family had, they didn’t stop Chicago from using the No. 1 pick.
Still, year one was rough. Caleb took a beating-sacked a record 68 times-and the Bears finished 5-12. Not exactly a dream start. But Ben Johnson remains optimistic. “This is a place to make history,” he said. “No one’s thrown for 4,000 yards here before. Caleb can be the first.”
The Elway plan might not have worked this time-but it sure came close.
This news was originally published on this post .
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