There is some debate surrounding whether No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams actually signed a deal with the Chicago Bears on Tuesday. Initially, it was reported that the rookie had inked his signature on the NFL paperwork, but now those reports have become unclear.
Adam Schefter was the first to break the news online, claiming that Williams had officially joined the Bears after agreeing to terms with Chicago. According to Schefter, Williams’ supposed four-year contract was worth a fully guaranteed $39 million and included a $25.5 million signing bonus and a fifth-year team option. However, one notable request was missing from the deal.
Less than 24 hours after those reports surfaced, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk disputed the claims. While appearing on 670 The Score in Chicago, Florio stated that Caleb Williams had not yet signed his rookie deal.
“Mike Florio of @ProFootballTalk tells @dan_bernstein and @leilarahimi that Caleb Williams has not signed his rookie contract. Williams and the team have an agreement in place, and the two sides are ‘haggling over language,’” the Bernstein & Holmes Show tweeted.
Some of that haggling reportedly involves Williams’ unprecedented terms. Williams wanted the Bears to agree not to use a franchise tag after the fifth year of his contract, a typically non-negotiable aspect of rookie deals. According to Florio, discussions about this request did not progress far.
“Mike Florio tells @dan_bernstein & @leilarahimi on @670TheScore that he’s been told there was an effort made to get the #Bears to agree not to use the franchise tag on Caleb Williams after he finishes the fifth year of his contract, and that did not go anywhere,” the Bernstein & Holmes Show reported.
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This wouldn’t be the first time Williams has taken an unconventional path. At the NFL Combine, he made a historic decision to withhold his medical information from prospective teams while opting to visit only one suitor.
Despite Florio disputing Schefter’s initial report, he did indicate that a deal was imminent. “Despite widespread reports from Tuesday that the first overall pick has signed his rookie deal, we’ve heard on multiple occasions since those reports surfaced that he has not yet put his name on the dotted line,” Florio said.
“That said, the deal is essentially done. They’re haggling over some of the language. And that process is being complicated by the fact that the lawyer Williams has hired to assist him lacks the knowledge and experience that comes from being a full-time agent.”
All signs point to Caleb Williams becoming a Bear, whether he has already signed or will be signing in the very near future. However, this news offers another strange turn in his post-college saga, highlighting the unique approach and challenges he has faced entering the NFL.
