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 Chicago Bears sign Caleb Williams’ close wide receiver friend, add another veteran WR
JASON BEAN/RGJ / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Chicago Bears announced they signed six players following their rookie minicamp on Friday and Saturday. One of the two wide receivers they signed is a close friend of rookie quarterback Caleb Williams.

John Jackson III has a close relationship with Caleb Williams

As previously discussed on CCS, John Jackson III has a close relationship with Williams:

Jackson III’s family has a deep history at USC. His grandfather, John Sr., was USC’s running backs coach and offensive coordinator for six seasons, helping Charles White and Marcus Allen win Heisman Trophies.

His father, John Jr., was a two-sport Trojans star who set the school record for career receptions in football and stolen bases in baseball before an NFL career.

Jackson III spent three years at USC before transferring to the University of Nevada for his senior season.

According to The Athletic, Jackson III became “best friends” with Caleb Williams while at USC.

The Chicago Bears signed Jackson

Per a statement by the Bears Monday morning, the team signed Jackson:

Appeared in 41 games the past four seasons at USC (2020-22) and Nevada (2023), catching 40 passes for 309 yards … Close friend and former USC teammate of Bears first-round draft pick Caleb Williams … Bulk of Johnson’s production in college came at Nevada last year, when he caught 35 passes for 267 yards … His father, John Jackson, was a receiver who appeared in five games with the Bears in 1996 after playing five years of minor league baseball.

The Bears gave Williams the Patrick Mahomes-level treatment when they hired Ted Crews to be an advisor to Kevin Williams. Now, the Bears are giving Williams the type of treatment Aaron Rodgers received with the Green Bay Packers and New York Jets when he helped choose receivers other quarterbacks wouldn’t prefer on their offense.

The Bears added five more players

The Bears also added veteran wide receiver Freddie Swain:

Has appeared in 37 NFL games with 10 starts for the Seahawks (2020-21), Broncos (2022) and Dolphins (2022), catching 42 passes for 576 yards and six touchdowns … Was selected by Seattle in the sixth round of the 2020 draft out of Florida.

The Bears added four more players to their offseason roster:

  • Tommy Sweeney, veteran tight end
  • Leon Jones, rookie cornerback
  • Dashaun Mallory, rookie defensive tackle
  • Paul Moala, rookie linebacker

This article first appeared on ChiCitySports and was syndicated with permission.

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