In a recently-released excerpt from Seth Wickersham's upcoming book "American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback," Carl Williams, father of Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, revealed that his son was so concerned about being drafted by the Bears in 2024 that the family considered circumventing the NFL draft altogether. Jason Smith and Mike Harmon react, discussing what this means for Williams and the Bears going forward. To Jason, this is an indicator that things are going to get messy.
Jason Smith: "Caleb Williams has a month. From the beginning of the season, he has one month to play well, because if not, it's over for him in Chicago. When you say 'Chicago is the place quarterbacks go to die, I don't wanna go there,' that upsets your teammates, it upsets the media, and it upsets the fans... You can't have a guy there who never wanted to be there. He's gotta do all kinds of damage control now. He really has to distance himself from this, because Caleb Williams and his dad may have royally screwed his career... You've made it combative with your city and fanbase. In what should've been an era of good feeling with all the improvements they've made, now it's about this guy having a clock on his career in Chicago."
Mike Harmon: "Yeah, he's really put a spotlight on himself... At every turn it's already been 'hey, it's not Caleb's fault, look at the hand he was dealt,' but now he has all the tools at his disposal -- a fortified offensive line, weapons -- there are no excuses, you have to perform... especially now that you've shortened your own leash."