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The Chicago Bears are entering a new era next season with former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson now the head coach. The franchise thought they were beginning a new era after drafting Caleb Williams last season first overall, but things didn't go quite as planned.
Apparently, there was also a chance things could have gone off the rails for the Bears before they even had the chance to draft a franchise quarterback.
Details about Caleb Williams and his father, Carl Williams, being hesitant to allow him to get to the Chicago Bears, are emerging through a book written by Seth Wickersham titled "American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback."
"Chicago is the place quarterbacks go to die," Carl Williams told Wickersham. The young QB and his father considered all options to try and avoid Chicago, which included slandering the franchise and the city of Chicago publicly to make things ugly, as well as signing with the United Football League.
The book is set to be released in September and offers details on past and present quarterbacks, including John Elway, Johnny Unitas, Warren Moon, the Mannings, Steve Young, Kirk Cousins, and Drake Maye.
After seeing Mitch Trubisky and Justin Fields not pan out with the Bears, Carl Williams reportedly told agents that he didn't want his son playing for the Bears. He talked to Archie Manning as well to get insight on how Eli Manning's draft situation went down.
Carl Williams also looked through the NFL collective bargaining agreement to see if anything could be done, and found it overall appalling from the perspective of a rookie quarterback.
At one point, after talking to head coach Kevin O'Connell, Caleb Williams wanted to go to the Minnesota Vikings, but the family also knew that the Bears trading the top pick to a division rival was extremely unlikely.
After a rough first season in Chicago, it seems like Caleb and his father were right to be wary of Chicago. However, with Ben Johnson coming in, they are much more excited for the second season than they were for the first.
When speaking to reporters in April, Williams talked about the excitement he felt about the hire.
"Him pushing me is key," he said. "I know that, and he knows that. ... I can't wait and to be able to help me learn more about ball because he's super smart, super sharp."
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About the writer
Seth Quinn is a contributing sports writer based in Massachusetts. His focus is on sports, primarily the NFL and NBA. He has in depth ... Read more