Caleb Williams may have gotten $39 million guaranteed on his four-year rookie contract with the Chicago Bears, but the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft didn’t get everything he wanted.
As reported by Talk about professional footballThe Bears rejected Williams’ request to promise they would never use the franchise tag on him.
It’s not unheard of: Veteran stars like Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott have similar language in their contracts.
What’s unusual is for a rookie to ask for such a concession. Of course, Williams isn’t your typical rookie: The Washington, D.C. native doesn’t even have an NFLPA-certified agent and has instead left negotiations to his lawyers.
By denying Williams this guarantee, the Bears retain leverage for 2028, when he can become a restricted free agent, as well as during the 2029 offseason, when he can hit the market as an unrestricted free agent.
Caleb Williams received $39 million guaranteed in his rookie contract, but he didn’t get all of it
The Bears have a fifth-year option for Williams in 2028, giving Chicago a variety of options to keep the former USC star and Heisman winner under contract as he enters his best season.
Not only did the Bears sign the No. 1 pick this week, but they also signed No. 9 pick Rome Odunze. That contract is also fully guaranteed and is reportedly worth $22.7 million.
Williams, the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner, is considered by many to be a generational talent. The Bears are counting on him to develop into the type of franchise quarterback Chicago has yearned for for decades.
He put up big numbers in college, with 93 touchdown passes and 14 interceptions over three seasons at Oklahoma and Southern California.
Williams followed coach Lincoln Riley from Norman, Oklahoma, to Los Angeles and threw 72 TDs and just 10 interceptions in two years with the Trojans.
Wide receiver Rome Odunze also signed his rookie contract, worth $100 million.
In Chicago, he has two veteran receivers in DJ Moore and six-time Pro Bowler Keenan Allen, in addition to Odunze, who starred in Washington.
Odunze played four seasons with the Huskies and was an All-American last year when he led the nation with a school-record 1,640 yards. Washington advanced to the national championship game, losing to Michigan. Odunze had 3,272 receiving yards and 24 touchdown receptions in his college career.
The Bears’ rookies were scheduled to report to training camp on Tuesday, with the veterans arriving on Friday. The first practice will be Saturday.
Chicago has made just three playoffs since the 2006 team reached the Super Bowl, failing to advance to the postseason twice in that span. The Bears are 10-24 in two seasons under general manager Ryan Poles and coach Matt Eberflus. But they view themselves as playoff contenders after going from three wins in 2022 to finishing 7-10 last season.
