Getty Quarterback Caleb Williams, formerly of the USC Trojans.
Prospective No. 1 overall draft pick Caleb Williams is getting a lot of advice from outside sources now that it is apparent he will end up the next quarterback of the Chicago Bears.
Some of the most recent and incendiary advice came from former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst Robert Griffin III on Monday, March 18. Griffin took to social media and urged Williams to flat out tell the Bears that if they draft him, he won’t report.
Caleb Williams should pull an Eli Manning and tell the Chicago Bears I AIN’T COMING.
“Caleb Williams should pull an Eli Manning and demand that the Chicago Bears not draft him number one overall,” Griffin said.
Manning demanded that the Los Angeles Chargers (then of San Diego) pass on him with the No. 1 pick in the 2004 draft. The Chargers didn’t abide, though the team eventually traded Manning to the New York Giants for QB Phillip Rivers and a draft haul.
The Chargers built a competitive team for several years around the return, though Manning went on to win two Super Bowl Championships in New York.
Griffin Accused Bears of Failing QB Justin Fields, Put Zero Accountability on Fields Himself
GettyChicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields.
Griffin based his argument for Williams bucking the system and using the power he has to force his way elsewhere — like perhaps to his hometown team the Washington Commanders — in Chicago’s apparent inability to develop former No. 11 overall pick Justin Fields.
“After everything that’s happened with just Justin Fields, can Caleb Williams really look at that and say, ‘You know what? This is the organization that has my best interest at heart, and they’re gonna help develop me into the player that I want to become,'” Griffin continued.
Fields is a prolific rusher from the QB position with an elite dual-threat skill set and was among the dark horse candidates to make a run for MVP in 2023 if he evolved as a passer. Fields had his moments, but ultimately didn’t make the kind of strides necessary as a thrower to render the Bears a playoff contender.
Of course, Chicago must bear some of the responsibility for Fields’ lack of progress, and firing offensive coordinator Luke Getsy (now with the Las Vegas Raiders) was part of the franchise accepting accountability for its failures.
However, Griffin’s argument doesn’t put any accountability on Fields for his own inability to develop his downfield vision or as a decision maker, which is a primary flaw in Griffin’s case for Williams to shun Chicago before even meeting with the team.
Chicago’s Trade Return for Justin Fields Has Zero Connection to Team’s Ability to Develop Caleb Williams
GettyFormer USC quarterback Caleb Williams.
Griffin’s argument fell apart further when he switched his primary point from a lack of Fields’ development, for which he blamed only the team and not the player, to the fact that Bears general manager Ryan Poles was only able to secure a conditional sixth-round pick back from the Pittsburgh Steelers in trade for the three-year starting quarterback.
“I thought Ryan Poles was having an amazing offseason up until this trade for Justin Fields, because you trade Justin Fields so you can get some players back to help your team out this year!” Griffin said, conjuring his best Stephen A. Smith impression. “Because Ryan Poles and Matt Eberflus, the head coach for the Chicago Bears, they’re in a lame duck season. They have to win this year or they’re going to get fired.”
What the Bears got back for Fields has zero logical connection to the organization’s/coaching staff’s ability to develop Williams into the NFL player he hopes to be. And beyond that, Poles turned down better offers for Fields because the QB asked to land with the Steelers, who have already told Russell Wilson he is their starter in 2024.
Of course Pittsburgh wasn’t going to give up second-round value for a player in Fields it views as a backup and on whom the team must make a $25.7 million decision by early May via a fifth-year option for 2025. If anything, Poles’ willingness to take less back to do right by Fields should give Williams good vibes about what’s going on inside Halas Hall, not the opposite.
Bears Have Stacked Offensive Roster Around Incoming Rookie QB
GettyNew Chicago Bears wide receiver Keenan Allen.
What’s far more important for Williams than what the Bears got back in trade for Fields is who they’ve added/kept to build a team around the young QB prospect.
Those players include wide receivers Keenan Allen and DJ Moore, tight end Cole Kmet and running back D’Andre Swift, who can provide Fields with one of the better offensive arsenals of any team in the league. The talent on Chicago’s offensive roster far exceeds that of the New England Patriots, who pick at No. 3 overall, and is also clearly superior at the moment to that of the Commanders, who will select second.
Chicago also owns the No. 9 overall pick in the draft, beyond the first overall selection it will presumably use to select Williams. The team can add to its offensive line in that spot or use the pick to add a second edge rusher alongside Pro Bowler Montez Sweat, for whom the Bears traded a second-round pick last October.
The Bears own the rights to a third- and fourth-round pick in the upcoming draft as well, and could look to supplement a secondary that includes recent multiyear signings of two-time All-Pro safety Kevin Byard and defensive back Jaylon Johnson — arguably the best cover corner in the NFL in 2023.