Caleb Williams began this week as one of the few unsigned first-round picks from this year’s NFL Draft.
Any concerns that the No. 1 overall pick from April might not participate in training camp have been alleviated, as he has signed a four-year, $39 million contract with the Chicago Bears.
Williams is the Bears’ projected Week 1 starter after the team traded Justin Fields, who had started the previous three seasons, to the Pittsburgh Steelers in March.
Williams was one of five unsigned first-round draftees entering this week, along with colleague Rome Odunze, a former Washington wide out.
Now that Odunze and Williams have signed contracts, they will be ready to go in Chicago.
Following his Heisman Trophy victory at USC in 2022, Williams was largely regarded as the top quarterback and overall talent in this year’s draft. Williams’ on-field production was not as high last year due to the Trojans’ lack of talent around him.
That team slump did not change the anticipation around Williams, as it had been the worst-kept secret for several months that the Bears were picking him first overall.
Six quarterbacks were selected in the first dozen rounds of this year’s draft, including the first three overall, with the Commanders choosing Jayden Daniels and the Patriots selecting Drake Maye.
The Minnesota Vikings have two of the three remaining unsigned rookies, including the No. 10 overall pick and former Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy.
This offseason, the Bears bolstered their offense by signing running back D’Andre Swift and trading for Keenan Allen, giving Williams a genuine veteran No. 1 receiver to pass to while Odunze develops.
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