For the time being, it’s probably the closest the Bears will get to having Caleb Williams in uniform.
It started on social media on Wednesday with a few remarks made by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
“Likely his only visit.”
Williams was the first player in the top 30 to visit Halas Hall, and on Thursday, wide receiver Rome Odunze was the next, according to ESPN.
Williams’ ranking on Rapoport only places him in the top 30, so there’s really no reason to worry that the number one pick would push his way out of Chicago, assuming there ever was.
The Bears can now select him in the first round on April 25.
Before Williams’ top-30 visit and physical at Halas Hall, rumors had been circulating for months that he would not play in Chicago and would force the team that drafts first to trade him, much like Eli Manning did. It was suggested that he could make a threat to return to the draft after the Bears’ one-year draft rights expire.
Nothing like this ever happened, and Williams himself had given enough impressions that it wouldn’t when, when questioned about a meeting with Bears general manager Ryan Poles and coach Matt Eberflus, he responded at the combine, “They were awesome.”
If it wasn’t clear at that moment, he quickly dispelled any suspicions that he didn’t like the team or the franchise in general a few minutes later.
He stated, “Bears were a 7–10 team.” “For a team with the first pick, that is quite impressive. They also had a strong defense. They have talented offensive players, and if you can get into a situation like that, it’s fairly exciting.”
The next time the Bears see Williams at Halas Hall, most likely, will be on April 26, the day after they select him in Detroit with the first overall pick.
