If the Chicago Bears hold onto the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the expectation is that USC quarterback Caleb Williams will be the pick.
But what if the Bears decide to continue on with Justin Fields at quarterback and make the highly coveted pick available? Could the Washington Commanders, who own the No. 2 overall pick, come calling? If you read the tea leaves, the idea doesn’t seem so far-fetched.
Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn announced Monday that Kliff Kingsbury will serve as the team’s offensive coordinator. Kingsbury notably spent time with Williams in 2023 as a senior offensive analyst at USC.
Here’s another what if that NFL Draft analyst Todd McShay offered up on The Ringer this week: The Bears decide to move on from Fields and take a quarterback with the pick. Does Williams pull the ultimate powerplay and force Chicago to trade the pick to Washington so he can play under Kingsbury?
McShay went in depth on the possible scenario, which we’ve seen multiple times before in the past.
Todd McShay outlines possible power move Caleb Williams could make
“Now, Caleb didn’t have his best year with Kliff there this past year,” McShay said. “But if he loves Kliff — quarterbacks like Caleb coming out are the only ones who have any power. We saw it with Eli Manning, you know we’ve seen it a few times in the past. People go back to [John] Elway and all that. It’s the only time in the NFL coming out of the draft that you have any kind of power, is if you’re one of these elite quarterbacks.
“And so, if Caleb really does wanna be with Kliff, he can put up a stink and make it uncomfortable for Chicago where they get to the point and they’re like, ‘F--- him, we’re gonna move out of No. 1, we’re gonna go to two. Get a bunch of draft picks, we’re gonna get a guy that wants to be here that we love, and we believe in, and we’ll let Washington move up and go get that pick.’ That’s the only twist I could see is if Caleb decides to make this real uncomfortable for Chicago over the next few months.”
While such a scenario would be a fascinating one, it goes to show the caliber of prospect Williams is and the power he holds. He enjoyed a fruitful collegiate career, earning the 2022 Heisman Trophy. He wrapped up his career having thrown for 10,082 yards, 93 touchdowns and 14 interceptions on 66.9% passing across one season at Oklahoma and two at USC.
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