Bears' Caleb Williams shares message for 'haters'

During an event for his Caleb Cares Foundation over the weekend, Chicago Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams was asked about addressing so-called "haters."

"Everybody has something to say — good, bad, indifferent," Williams said, as shared by Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune. "There’s always going to be somebody. You can’t please everybody. I had to learn that at a young age — that I can’t please everybody. So make sure you have your goals set, and whatever anybody else has to say … go get them. And it doesn’t matter what the haters have to say."

The Bears traded quarterback Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a conditional 2025 sixth-round draft pick before they made Williams the first overall choice of this year's player-selection process. 

While many believed Williams was the top prospect of his draft class, some analysts ranked him "last overall in immeasurables" among rookie signal-callers. Others criticized him for painting his fingernails and for crying in his mother’s arms in the stands following a loss in college.

Additionally, Williams' alleged "Hollywood" reputation hovered over him leading up to his first springtime workouts as a pro. Such takes may not quiet down anytime soon considering he hadn't yet signed his rookie contract as of early Monday afternoon.

Per Kevin Patra of the NFL's website, Chicago rookies are scheduled to report to training camp on Tuesday.

"I’m not handling that," Williams said about his deal. "My lawyers and attorney and everybody, the head of the Bears, everybody up there up top is handling that. That’s not my position that I’m handling."

As of Monday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook listed Williams as the betting favorite at +135 odds to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award. He seems eager to get to work this week assuming he'll put pen to paper on his contract by some point on Tuesday.

"You start getting to the end of the break and you’re training and you’re ready to go," Williams added during his comments. "Really excited. … I’m really happy to be back in Chicago and to get this thing going. We’re only about three weeks away (from the exhibition opener)."

The Bears open the preseason with the Hall of Fame Game versus the Houston Texans on Aug. 1.