For 15 minutes Wednesday afternoon, Caleb Williams worked his hardest to close the back cover on a story that raised eyebrows across the NFL.
Two weeks ago, excerpts from Seth Wickersham’s upcoming book “American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback” offered new details and deeper insight into just how reluctant Williams was to play for the Chicago Bears before the 2024 draft.
Among the book’s most notable revelations, gathered through extensive reporting that included interviews with Williams and his father, Carl:
- After an encouraging predraft meeting with the Minnesota Vikings and coach Kevin O’Connell, Williams privately wondered if there was a way to engineer a trade that would unite him with O’Connell as an alternative to joining the Bears.
- The Williamses explored the possibility of spending the 2024 season in the United Football League as a means of giving Caleb more control of where his NFL career would begin.
- Williams listened to his father’s suggested alternative avenues that would take him away from Chicago before ultimately declaring, “I wasn’t ready to nuke the city.”
As loud as many Bears fans were in declaring all that consternation and deliberation a nonstory as it relates to the 2025 team — which has new leadership under coach Ben Johnson — Williams eventually was going to have to field questions about the book and resulting commotion.
Wednesday’s news conference at Halas Hall offered that opportunity.
“This whole storm that happened?” Williams said. “It wasn’t something we wanted to happen at this point. … It has been a distraction.”
That was part of a 3-minute, 54-second opening statement. It was followed by 11 questions in which Williams further explained his thinking and clarified that all of the considerations contained in Wickersham’s book were “all ideas.”
“Being able to have those thoughts is, I think, fair,” Williams said.
As the 2024 predraft process continued, Williams said he gained comfort in being drafted No. 1 by the Bears.
“I wanted to come here,” he said, “and be the guy and a be a reason why the Chicago Bears turn this thing around.”
At times Wednesday, the 23-year-old quarterback seemed a bit nervy and somewhat embarrassed to be cleaning up a small mess that mushroomed into a national conversation. But on the whole, Williams handled the conversation as expected: smoothly, carefully and with his eyes forward.
As important as anything, he made this emphatic declaration: “After I came on my (predraft) visit here, it was a deliberate and determined answer I had that I wanted to come here.”
And this one: “We are here focused on the future. We are here focused on the present and really trying to get this train going, picking up steam and choo-chooing along.”
Still, as the Bears attempt to relaunch Williams’ career after a turbulent 2024 season, his past remains relevant. If Williams had serious concerns about the franchise’s well-documented history of quarterback failure before his arrival — worries that proved applicable during a 5-12 rookie season in which both offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and coach Matt Eberflus were fired during a 10-game losing streak — then how will he create a more positive headspace for Year 2 to trust that his career is in good hands?
To that question, Williams didn’t offer an endorsement of the organization, instead expressing pride in his production through all of last season’s tumult.
“I still have all the confidence in myself,” he said. “I think my teammates believe in me. I think that’s shown on game day. And I think how much I love and care for those guys and want to go win shows up on game day.”
Williams also delivered an enthusiastic early assessment of Johnson, his new head coach and play caller and the man the Bears chose to help bring out the best from their starting quarterback.
“He is always laser-focused,” Williams said. “He encourages and he pushes and he challenges you to be at your best as a team. Offense, defense, special teams. Doesn’t matter the position. (He’s) sharp and he’s a guy who wants to win. And to be honest, he’s consistent with it every day.”
The bond between Williams and Johnson — and how quickly it grows — is as important as anything at Halas Hall. And while the coach and quarterback are in the early stages of their working relationship, Johnson already has been purposeful in challenging Williams.
For one thing, his offense will ask Williams to go under center much more frequently. Johnson also has requested tweaks to Williams’ footwork. The process of shaping the offense around Williams’ strengths is just getting started.
They also have had conversations about the need for Williams to improve his body language, a request Johnson elaborated on Wednesday.
“Early in the process, we sat down and watched some tape from a year ago and we talked it through,” Johnson said. “It’s like, ‘Is this what we want to look like or not?’ We came to an agreement. No, it’s not. OK, we learn from it and we move on to the next thing.
“Body language is a huge thing. Demeanor. We don’t want to be a palms-up team where we’re questioning everything. No. No. No. To me that’s a little bit of a sign of weakness. We don’t want to exhibit that.”
That kind of guidance will intensify in the months ahead.
As for the insinuation in book excerpts that Williams’ film-study routine during his rookie season lacked guidance from Eberflus and his staff, Williams said his piece on that topic too.
“It wasn’t that I didn’t know how to watch film,” he said. “It was trying to figure out the best ways and more efficient ways so that I can watch more film and I can gather more information.”
By the end of the afternoon, it was obvious Williams’ maturation process must continue across many phases of becoming an NFL quarterback.
He also did his best to turn the page on a chapter he believes should be left in the past.
“The main objective of being here is to turn this around,” Williams said. “That’s why I was selected No. 1. That’s what we’re here to do.”
