USC quarterback Caleb Williams, viewed as a likely No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, said he’d be thrilled to be selected by the Chicago Bears, doing his best to clear up rumblings to the contrary.
“If I get drafted by the Bears, I’ll be excited,” Williams said in an interview with ESPN’s Pete Thamel published on Wednesday. “If they trade the pick, and I get drafted by someone else, I’m just as excited. Speaking about Chicago, they have a talented team, a talented offense and defense. For anyone to be in that situation, I think they’d be excited.”
Williams is scheduled to arrive Wednesday at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis and is expected to meet with the Bears, Washington Commanders, New England Patriots, Las Vegas Raiders, Atlanta Falcons, New York Jets, New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported. Williams will take part in meetings, but will forego testing and on-field work, which he’s expected to do in USC’s pro day on March 20.
In his interview with ESPN, Williams expunged any notions that he would ask to be traded rather than play in Chicago.
“I’m not pushing any agenda,” he said. “At the end of the day, the Bears have the last say. Regardless of how I feel, I’m not pushing an agenda of, ‘Yeah, I want to go. Or no, I don’t want to go.’ I’m excited for whatever comes.”
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Bears general manager Ryan Poles, who has yet to announce if he intends to trade Chicago starter Justin Fields and/or keep the No. 1 pick, was asked Tuesday if he had any concerns about the rumored reservations of Williams playing in the Windy City.
“No. No. No concerns about that at all,” Poles said. “I would love to know why, if that was the case. Like I said, I think as a young quarterback, and I’ve been around it, the infrastructure is important, and I think we’ve made really good progress in terms of having really good infrastructure for whoever were to come in or if Justin were to stay here as well.”
Poles’ comments would seem to be in line with what Williams is hoping to find in his first NFL franchise.
“Just the constant growth and change, that’s important whether you are a quarterback or wide receiver or a general manager or an owner or an organization,” Williams said of what he’s looking for. “Just a healthy situation — in the facility, with the players — and just a place that really wants to win.”
Williams, who began his college career at Oklahoma before transferring to USC, was the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner. He passed for 8,170 passing yards, 72 touchdowns and 10 interceptions over two seasons with the Trojans. He’s the top-ranked prospect in Daniel Jeremiah’s top 50.