By Joseph Michael Ricco IV
A book set to be published in September, American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback, reveals that former University of Southern California quarterback Caleb Williams and his father, Carl Williams, plotted ways to avoid being selected by the Chicago Bears in the 2024 National Football League Draft. Carl Williams warned agents, “Chicago is the place quarterbacks go to die,” and the pair even met with lawyers to explore bypassing the league’s collective bargaining agreement. They considered signing with the United Football League or publicly criticizing the Bears to force a trade. However, after a pre-draft visit to the Bears facility, Caleb decided to embrace Chicago and remain in the draft, where the Bears selected him No. 1 overall. This article will examine the strategies the Williams family pursued and assess whether any of those options could have succeeded.
Avoiding Chicago
To prevent joining the Bears, Caleb Williams and his father first explored legal options. They consulted labor lawyers about finding a loophole in the National Football League’s collective bargaining agreement. The goal was to challenge the draft process or the rookie wage scale so that Caleb could choose his team. In reality, any court would likely uphold the agreement because it was negotiated between the league and the players’ association.
Next, the Williamses considered signing with the United Football League (UFL) instead of entering the draft. By playing in the UFL for a season, Caleb could delay his NFL entry until 2025 and re-enter the draft with the hope of landing on his preferred team. However, the UFL pays far less than the NFL and offers no guarantees of long-term development or safety from injury. Even if he performed well there, there was no assurance that NFL teams would view him more favorably or that he could maintain his draft stock.
Finally, they weighed a public campaign against the Bears and the city of Chicago. This tactic mirrored past actions by Eli Manning in 2004 and John Elway in 1983, when each openly criticized their prospective teams to force a trade. Publicly denouncing Chicago might have damaged the Bears’ willingness to pick Caleb, but it also risked alienating scouts, agents, and fans. In the end, Caleb decided that criticizing the team would do more harm than good and chose to keep his reputation intact.
Bear-ing Down
In the end, Caleb Williams and his father explored every conceivable route to avoid the Bears, but none offered a practical escape. Legal challenges to the draft or rookie wage scale faced long odds under a collective bargaining agreement that courts routinely uphold. A season in the United Football League would have meant trading immediate financial security and exposure for a gamble on maintaining draft value. Publicly bashing Chicago risked alienating decision makers and undermining Caleb’s reputation. When he visited the Bears facility, he realized his best path to success lay with the team that ultimately chose him.
Williams now finds himself in a situation he once feared, wearing the No. 1 overall pick’s uniform and embracing the challenge of turning around a historic franchise. His case illustrates the limits on a top prospect’s ability to control the draft process, underlining how the NFL’s system channels incoming talent. While the Williams family’s strategies made headlines, the reality was that the draft and wage scale offered little room for skirting the rules. As Caleb settles into his role with Chicago, the lessons from this episode will resonate for future prospects who might dream of picking their own destination.
Author’s Biography
Joseph Michael Ricco IV is a rising senior at the University of Texas at Austin studying sport management and government. He has experience in recruiting operations with Texas Football, training camp operations with the Kansas City Chiefs, and football data with Pro Football Focus. He also publishes work on sports law topics, including salary cap, NIL, and CBAs. Joseph plans to attend law school and pursue a career in football operations, player personnel, or administration.
References
Brookhouse, B. (2025, May 30). Caleb Williams addresses report he didn’t want to be drafted by bears, says “I wanted to come here.” CBSSports.com. https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/caleb-williams-addresses-report-he-didnt-want-to-be-drafted-by-bears-says-i-wanted-to-come-here/
ESPN Internet Ventures. (2025, May 15). Book: Caleb Williams sought way around going to Chicago bears. ESPN. https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/45161794/caleb-williams-sought-way-going-chicago-bears
Frankel, J. (2025, May 16). Caleb Williams and his father plotted how to avoid getting drafted to Chicago bears, New book claims. People.com. https://people.com/caleb-williams-father-strategized-how-avoid-chicago-bears-new-book-says-11736332
McCann, M. (2025, May 15). Caleb Williams’ NFL Draft-Dodge plans had no chance in court. Sportico.com. https://www.sportico.com/law/analysis/2025/caleb-williams-nfl-draft-options-cba-1234852639/
