Dez Bryant shares bleak outlook on Caleb Williams playing for Cardinals
With Kyler Murray on the PUP list and Joshua Dobbs — a player who arrived in Arizona just over two weeks ago — set to open the season as the starter under center, the Cardinals look like a team destined to contend for the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
If Arizona does ultimately stake claim to the top pick in April, chances are USC blue-chip quarterback Caleb Williams will be sitting atop their draft board. However, the potential interest might not be mutual.
Former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant recently took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to voice his belief that Williams is disinterested in playing for the Cardinals.
Bryant's tweet stems from an interview Williams' father, Carl, did with GQ Sports where he insinuated his son could forgo the NFL draft in favor of returning to USC for his senior season.
“He’s got two shots at the apple,” Carl said. “So if there’s not a good situation, the truth is, he can come back to school.”
Williams, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, has maintained his stellar play two weeks into his junior campaign. On 49 pass attempts this season, Williams has completed 36 passes for nine touchdowns and zero interceptions. His 52 total touchdowns in 2021 set a new school record and tied for 16th-most in college football history.
Should he continue to produce in a similar fashion, Williams will be a top candidate to hear his name called first in April's draft. As for the Cardinals, they own both their own first-round pick and the Houston Texans first-round pick, giving the franchise heightened odds to land the No. 1 pick or enough ammo to move up and secure the No. 1 pick.
No projected No. 1 pick has refused to play for a specific team since Eli Manning shunned the then-San Diego Chargers in 2004. Although, Williams does have enough leverage to follow in Manning's footsteps if he should so choose.
In the modern-day NIL era of college football, jumping to the pro level has become far less financially alluring — especially for a player of Williams' stature. The USC quarterback currently ranks No. 5 in NIL earnings, boasting a $2.6M valuation, per On3.
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