Former USC quarterbacks coach Kliff Kingsbury had some crucial inside information to give the Chicago Bears on Carl Williams this winter. Carl is the father of top quarterback prospect Caleb Williams. A Monday report by Sports Illustrated ‘s Albert Breer gives excellent insight into where the Chicago Bears are at with the pre-draft process with Caleb Williams.
The Chicago Bears want to learn about Carl Williams in the pre-draft
Carl has been the topic of much discussion during the pre-draft process. Carl has been outspoken about Caleb’s football career and said last season the USC quarterback could stay in college for the 2024 season if he didn’t like the team that held the number one pick this April.
There was speculation it was Carl who pushed the idea Caleb would ask for equity in whatever team sought him in the 2024 NFL Draft. With the leverage, Caleb could opt to stay in college for the 2024 season if he didn’t like the deal the NFL offered him. Not long after the idea became popular, the league quickly changed its policy on players being allowed to have equity in a team.
(Yes, Williams is already re-writing history.)
The Bears had questions about Carl’s involvement with Caleb’s football life not long after they learned they’d own the number one pick in the draft. It’s an important thing to learn because Caleb was frank at the combine it was a “family” decision for him not to be involved in the medical exam process in Indianapolis. Many analysts are concerned Carl is a red flag for NFL teams.
Kliff Kingsbury opened up about Carl’s involvement with Caleb
Per Breer, one of the best insights the Bears learned about Caleb was about Carl when they interviewed Kingsbury for the vacant offensive coordinator job in January. Caleb’s father mostly stays off the field:
The quarterback’s dad, Kingsbury told them, was sharp, and someone that Williams leaned on a lot business-wise. But the father left the football part to his kid; Kingsbury explained to Chicago he saw the dad maybe once last year at USC’s practice facility.
The football part wasn’t left to the kid last week. But Carl didn’t have a big impact during the season at USC.
The Bears planned to take an unusual step with Caleb Williams
The Bears are eager to learn about Williams as much as they can. Per Breer, the team thinks Williams has “separated himself” from Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, and the rest of the rookie quarterback class. The Bears were willing to make the unique choice of meeting him the week after the combine:
Until this weekend, the Bears had planned to bring USC’s Caleb Williams to Chicago for his top 30 visit Tuesday, fresh off the combine. That is extraordinarily early—most teams don’t even start with 30 visits until the end of March or beginning of April when pro days are wrapping up.
The idea was pretty simple. Chicago wanted to check some final boxes before finalizing its plan at quarterback before free agency starts next week. In the end, Williams and the team decided to move things around: Rather than shuttling the quarterback to and from California again, in the midst of preparations for his March 20 pro day, the Bears will host Williams in Chicago shortly after that instead.
One thing to note here is that the Bears will delay receiving Williams’ medical information until after free agency begins by waiting until after USC’s pro day to visit with the quarterback. The fact the Bears were willing to work with Williams’ camp to move back the meeting shows how enamored they are with the prospect.
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