I’m 99% sure the Bears are NOT drafting Caleb Williams
Caleb has already failed his Bears interview and I’ll walk you through why. He may have failed it on purpose, meaning he sabotaged his opportunity to be drafted by the Bears. If so, this could mean there’s some tampering going on. But that’s conspiracy theory and conjecture that can be discussed at another time. Now, we will talk about actual occurrences.
He failed his interview by making contradicting decisions and missing an invaluable opportunity. Doing so, he had the most costly multi-billion dollar fumble in the history of the NFL before even being drafted to the NFL.
My explanation below details why. It also includes some analogies and color commentary for fun.
In order to set up my main point, let’s start the conversation at the NFL combine. Caleb Williams made a mockery of the NFL combine. He showed up to show face as if it was a celebrity red carpet event. He did not participate in any drills. His reason to why, was that he played 30+ games and his tape speaks for itself. This is true. His talent (he is extremely talented) does appear on tape. But what’s the point telling scouts, who’s job is to analyze the tape, to “check the tape”?
Additionally, Caleb did not do medicals at the NFL combine. The first player in NFL combine history to not do medicals. The foundation and most imperative purpose of the NFL combine is for the medical exam. It’s equivalent to the physical for highschool athletes. Caleb’s reason for not doing medicals is because there’s only one of him and not every team(32) can draft him. Therefore he will only provide his medicals for teams he visits for his Top 30 visit (30 teams). On the surface, this sounds pretty smart… maybe even revolutionary. But let’s unpack this a little bit.
The NFL is a large corporation with multiple subsidiaries/franchises underneath it. The NFL provides the combine as an organized way to check the health and well-being of incoming players. It is in the NFL’s best interest to be informed and document the health of the incoming class to insure the safety and health of players who are going to participate in a very violent sport. All the franchises have the opportunity to access the medicals as they decide to draft and employ the incoming class to their respective franchise. All medicals but one. Based on Caleb’s reasoning that only the teams that can draft him should access his medical information.
If he provides his medicals to one team, it’s safe to assume that team will make it available to the NFL, being that the NFL sets the standards, regulation, and governance of the franchises. In turn, that would make the medicals available to all the franchises by way of the NFL. But if we assume that an individual franchise can withhold medical data from the NFL and other franchises, it would 100% compromise the entire league. If a player is put or puts others in harm’s way because of an underlying condition withheld by the informed party, the NFL would be liable as well as the player, the withholding party/franchise, and all affected franchises. It’s too great of a risk for the NFL to allow organizations to hide player medical information. In short the NFL will have access to Caleb’s medicals.
What Caleb did is like showing up to a karaoke birthday party without a gift, not wishing the celebrant Happy Birthday, nor singing karaoke.
Host: “Welcome, do you have a gift or do you want to wish happy birthday?”
Caleb: “Nah, I wished plenty of people happy birthday before… Tell the birthday person to check the tape.”
Host: “Well do you want to sing karaoke?”
Caleb: “Nah I’m good. I don’t want everyone to hear me karaoke. I’m gonna privately record myself doing karaoke and share the public link with 94% of the party goers, hoping the remaining 6% don’t get the link.”
His choice literally makes no sense. Why show up to the combine?
Now, let’s discuss the main failure and fumble.
The Bears, who own the right to pick the first player in the upcoming NFL draft requested Caleb, the presumed 1st overall pick, to interview with them one week before free agency and the new league year. Correct me if I’m wrong but that appears to be a once in a lifetime historic offer that has major implications. Caleb declined because he’s training for the pro day. He agreed to interview after his pro day.
This is equivalent to delaying an interview with your dream job so you can prepare for the job fair in a couple weeks.
It’s like being offered the dream engineering job and all that’s asked is to meet the staff. And he responded: “Nah, probably later. I’m too busy working with my buds on mock ups and simulations for the upcoming engineering fair that has no bearing on my career.”
Some might argue that Caleb is making his decision in support of his teammates but that doesn’t add up. He opted not to play in the bowl game, opposing supporting his teammates, so he can prepare for the NFL. Now, the NFL (the Bears) call and he delays them to train to support his teammates for the pro day? The pro day is equivalent to a recital or pony show. And there’s tape, as he mentioned, with real live action play of 30+ games for NFL teams to see. And the group that watched his tape and wants an interview has to wait until after a meaningless show of drills that wasn’t worth Caleb’s time at the combine.
This is like wanting a partner and having your dream partner; perfect in every way, checking all the boxes, bombshell person ask you out on a date to see if y’all are compatible. You’ve been preparing your whole life to be a match with this, your ideal partner. And when they ask you out, you say: “Nah, I’m trying to prepare for a speed dating event in two weeks. We can go on a date after that.”
It’s even more asinine when you consider that the Bears did not ever request to interrupt his training for his pro day. He could still train for his pro day the day of the interview. He would’ve been training/working out for the Bears anyway.
Additionally, Caleb could have recommended some of his teammates to support them being drafted and team up with him. He shunned the greatest opportunity he had to support his teammates. Moreover, he turned his back on his potential future teammates and organization.
What’s even more apparent is that the Bears requested to interview Caleb before free agency, the single largest week of commerce exchange for NFL players. The NFL spends billions, yes billions with a B, and that’s no exaggeration, billions during free agency. For example, each team will average 150 – 200 million in new contracts during free agency. On the low end, 100 million multiplied by 32 teams is 3.2 billion dollars in new contracts. This is significant and historic. Caleb was offered an opportunity to meet with a multi billion dollar franchise as they shape their team for the upcoming season. This is much more historic and impactful than refusing medicals. On a scale of 1 to a billion, being the first to refuse medicals is equivalent to $20 dollars.
Some may argue that maybe Caleb didn’t understand or think of the significance of being invited before free agency. That argument would be a clear fallacy and devoid of all logic. College players know about free agency because they know they’ll be paid/compensated with money to play in the NFL. Almost anyone within any proximity of the NFL knows about free agency. Hundreds of millions are watching it. Millions of fans are sharing their opinions of what their teams should do during free agency. Tens of thousands of videos have been uploaded by fans sharing their thoughts on free agency this year alone. You, as a reader of this post, know. The NFL and sports media have created an entire media empire regarding the discourse of free agency. Caleb knows and understands the significance. And if he doesn’t, that’s an even bigger problem.
The most colossal part of the requested interview is that the Bears could have provided Caleb with a once in a lifetime opportunity: The ability to shape his future team to his needs. Celeb turned away the chance to have direct input on a billion dollar franchise to tailor make the team to fit Caleb Willams. If the interview went well, Caleb could’ve hand-picked incoming free agents and draftees. His decision would have impacted hundreds of millions for this season. Also, it would have impacted the future which would range in the billions. Him being an incoming star QB, will have the opportunity to earn over 1 billion dollars himself in a two decade career.
Saying no to this interview is equivalent to fumbling a billion dollar football.
Caleb Williams said no in favor of one day of training for USC’s pro day. He said no to a NFL team offering him the keys to the franchise, an opportunity to fit it to his wants/needs, and input on billions in future revenue plans.
How many high level, or any level, executives would delay a meeting that’s on this scale in favor of a single day of training for a hobbyist event that will have no bearing on their career and will not prepare them for a future interview?
It’s like putting the Olympic committee on hold for a single day of training for an upcoming scrimmage.
Caleb’s response to this invite to be 1st pick and QB of a franchise in the NFL was: “Nah, y’all gotta wait. I’m busy training for my pro day which is important because, I don’t know if y’all know this but, I’m going to be drafted to the NFL! “
Here’s the recap:
- Caleb doesn’t play the bowl game because he’s preparing for the NFL. Not Supporting his USC teammates.
- He does not do NFL combine drills because his tape speaks for itself.
- He doesn’t do medical because he doesn’t want all the teams to have it. Although the NFL will have access as well as each team in the Top 30 visits.
- Caleb doesn’t do an early interview with the Bears because it could disrupt one day of his multiple week training for the pro day where he’ll do drills for the entire NFL, the same drills he previously refused to do at the combine for the reason of “check the tape…”
- And, his holding off his interview disabled/crippled his potential future NFL team from getting a headstart and instantly tailoring a team to his needs. He picked a single day of training for a meaningless pro day that he would’ve been able to train for and participate even if he did the interview. In this instance (I know I’m being repetitive) he prioritized one day of training for a pro day to showcase to the NFL over preparing and joining a NFL franchise.
Caleb’s Logic Priorities:
NFL training > Bowl Game & Support Teammates
The Tape > Combine Drills
1 single day of training for Pro Day Combine Drills > a NFL interview & preparation for a billion dollar career
There isn’t a competent leadership group (professional, personal, or romantic) that would hire someone for a leadership role who just confirmed they aren’t capable of making sound decisions and prioritize personal & organizational goals. Caleb failed. He showed he’s not the right person because of the choices he made and continues to make. He scoffed at the Bears billion dollar offer to customize roster & team to Cabel’s needs for the coming season.
Now the only question is; Was this a calculated sabotage? Or was it a simple error of incompetence that, maybe, an agent could have prevented?sources: AP News, SI
https://apnews.com/article/nfl-combine-4faea3a6a4c6b1d7f89a3ee7e5f875f2
https://www.si.com/nfl/bears/news/caleb-williams-reportedly-delays-bears-plans-for-physical