The Chicago Bears made the easy decision to select Caleb Williams with the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The former Oklahoma and USC star quarterback won the Heisman Trophy and was marvelous in his college career.
For the Bears, it was a no-brainer, although his rookie season had plenty of ups and downs.
For Williams, it seems he didn't want to end up in Chicago.
Seth Wickersham, author of "American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback," dropped a shocking revelation in his book that will be published in September, per ESPN.
Quarterback Caleb Williams was so concerned about being picked by the Chicago Bears in 2024 that he and his family weighed circumventing the entire NFL draft, consulting with lawyers to figure out a way around the league's collective bargaining agreement while considering signing with the United Football League, details from a forthcoming book reveal.
Caleb's father, Carl, also said that "Chicago is the place quarterbacks go to die" with Caleb even saying he didn't think he could do it with Bears OC Shane Waldron.
On top of that, it seemed that Williams wanted to join the Minnesota Vikings, per the report.
"At the NFL combine that year, he met with Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell. The two hit it off, and Caleb Williams began to dream of what it would be like to play for Minnesota."
Well, that didn't happen. Instead, the Bears stayed true to their word and selected Williams in an obvious decision, especially after all the talent he had flashed during college.
The Bears-Vikings rivalry was already strong enough, and with the fact Williams wanted to play in Minnesota, the rivalry should only grow. At the end, the Vikings selected Michigan QB JJ McCarthy in the first round, although he missed the 2024 season due to an injury.
Want another interesting tidbit?
The Bears and Vikings play in Week 1 in Chicago.
MORE NFL SCHEDULE RELEASE
- Full 272-game NFL schedule for 2025 season
- Who Cowboys, Lions are playing on Thanksgiving
- Chiefs, Cowboys highlight Christmas tripleheader
- Complete list of TNF, SNF, MNF prime-time games