Quarterback Caleb Williams isn’t handling his contract negotiations with the Bears. Unless he is.
Over the weekend, Williams said of his rookie contract: “I’m not in charge of that.My lawyers, my attorney and everyone, the Bears boss, everyone up there is handling that. It’s not my position that I’m handling.”
Because Williams is not represented by an NFLPA-certified agent, the Bears are not allowed to negotiate with anyone other than Williams. According to an NFL spokesperson, the Bears have told the league they are not negotiating with any third parties.
“Your interpretation of Article 48 (of the Collective Bargaining Agreement) is correct,” the league told PFT via email. “However, the team confirmed to the league that it is only speaking with the player.”
So either someone is telling an inaccurate story, or the Bears think they’re negotiating with Williams when they’re not. The most common solution for players who represent themselves but don’t actually represent themselves is to create an email address that appears to be the player’s but is actually someone else’s. (In at least one situation, the cover was blown when the player responded to a team email while on the practice field.)
Still, something’s not right and things aren’t working out. Williams, the No. 1 overall pick in April’s draft, is one of only five unsigned first-round picks, and the Bears’ rookies are due to report tomorrow.
