Just a few days ago, former NFL player Emmanuel Acho roasted hell out of Bears QB Caleb Williams. He asked the signal caller to curb excuses and focus on his performance. Citing new HC Ben Johnson, the best offensive minds in the NFL, he argued if Williams had any more excuses left up his sleeves. Turns out that the rookie was not happy with the Bears drafting him first overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. He had other teams on his preference list. His father, Carl Williams, played a major and deciding role, which didn’t turn out the way they expected.

On the May 16 episode of NFL on NBC, host Mike Florio discussed the details from Seth Wickersham’s American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback book with Charean Williams. Florio started the conversation with how the college athlete and his father had a public campaign that he didn’t want to play for the Bears. However, at some point, he changed his mind.

Bears GM Ryan Poles told the rookie that they would draft him no matter what. And if Caleb Williams rejected the offer, they would portray him in a negative light. Florio noted, “There would have been consequences. He would have been branded in a way that would have prevented him from ever becoming the kind of star that a great quarterback can be. He would have been a villainous figure, not a star.” That was so unfair.

He’s dealing with a lot of hate for his performance last year. The top-billed prospect had a poor 5-12 win-loss record. At one point, he even told his father that he would like to play for the Vikings. But a pre-draft visit to the Bears’ facility changed his mind. He thought that he could change the franchise. Alas, he failed!

Moreover, Charean claimed that the Bears don’t have a history of developing rookie QBs. But Florio replied that Caleb Williams signed up with the NFC North franchise as he didn’t want to deal with hate before even playing his first NFL game. “It takes a hell of a lot of commitment to be a heel, and he didn’t want that at a young age,” he said while summing up his statement.

The book contains many explosive pieces of information. It details how his father also wanted him to play for any other team.

Caleb Williams’ father admits unwillingness for Bears

Carl Williams was the QB’s agent during the pre-draft era. He told several agents, “I don’t want my son playing for the Bears.” To find a way around the collective bargaining agreement (CBA), he even talked to the NFL legend Eli Manning. He even told Wickersham, “Chicago is the place quarterbacks go to die.” In the end, QB’s father left the decision to him.

Things could have turned out entirely differently if Caleb Williams hadn’t wanted to go to the Bears. The father-son duo even contacted lawyers to find ways to circumvent the entire draft. If the QB didn’t see any hope in the NFC North franchise, he might have ended up playing in the UFL and entered the NFL draft this year. But things panned out fine for him.

Overall, the signal caller had a pretty decent individual performance. He recorded 20 touchdowns and 6 interceptions with 62.5% pass completion. However, in the ultra-competitive world, results matter. Pressure is on. The book, releasing in September, could rock his world even more. Brace yourselves for more breathtaking excerpts!