Caleb Williams needed to set the record straight about his feelings for the Bears after a recent book excerpt had become a “distraction” this spring.
A released portion of the upcoming book, “American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback” by ESPN’s Seth Wickersham, said Williams considered ways to get out of being selected No. 1 overall to Chicago in 2024.
The franchise QB used a nearly four-minute opening statement after the Bears’ second OTA practice on Wednesday to not deny everything that was written in the book, but to explain why his feelings changed about the franchise.
Williams acknowledged initial trepidations about the franchise’s struggles developing a QB and that “there hasn’t been a 4,000-yard passer [in Chicago]” were part of what he and his family discussed during the draft process.
A lot of that changed when he met with the Bears before the draft, leaving him wanting to be the one who turned things around in Chicago — even if the book revealed the Vikings were his desired destination.
“I wanted to come here and be the guy and be a part and be a reason why the Chicago Bears turn this thing around,” Williams told reporters on Wednesday. “That last thing that was said in all of that, I think is the most important thing, is that I wanted to be here. I love being here.”
Williams’ father, Carl, is quoted in the book as calling Chicago the place “quarterbacks go to die.”
The former USC star made it clear he doesn’t share his dad’s opinion.
“Actually, I shut my dad down quite a bit,” Williams said. “He has ideas and he’s a smart man and so I listen, I always listen. I’m very fortunate to be in this position in the sense of playing quarterback but also very fortunate to have a very strong-minded father. We talk very often, my mom and my dad are my best friends, so being able to have conversations with them to understand that everything they say is also portrayed on me.”
Things did go particularly well in Williams’ first season in the Windy City.
A 5-12 record included offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and head coach Matt Eberflus being fired before the season’s end.
The book discusses a disconnect between Williams and the previous staff, including a claim of a lack of help, supervision and guidance as he watched film.
The QB scoffed at the context it was portrayed in, calling it “funny.”
“It wasn’t that I didn’t know how to watch film,” Williams said. “It was more or less the sense of … learning ways to watch film and be more efficient. Learning ways to pick up things better.”
Williams still had a solid rookie year, considering he was sacked an NFL-leading 68 times, throwing for 3,541 yards, 20 touchdowns and only six interceptions.
But his QBR (46.7) still left a lot to be desired.
The hope is Williams will get to the next level in his sophomore campaign under new head coach Ben Johnson, who proved to be one of the up-and-coming offensive minds in the league during his time as a coordinator with the Lions.
