Getty Caleb Williams is set to be the No. 1 pick in the draft this year.
Greg Gabriel has been outspoken in his belief that the Chicago Bears should not draft quarterback Caleb Williams. He may have taken that outspokenness a bit too far recently when he got into it with a longtime friend/associate of Williams’ on X (formerly Twitter).
Gabriel served as director of college scouting for the Bears for nine seasons, with the team electing not to renew his contract after the 2009 season. He also spent 16 years in the New York Giants scouting department, and had been serving as an analyst for SB Nation’s Windy City Gridiron since 2022.
No one can dispute his experience, nor should they, but when Gabriel posted the following on X, he was met with some resistance:
“I do not agree with taking CW for various reasons and if I was doing my former job the Bears wouldn’t take him,” Gabriel wrote, adding: “It’s not about talent. I know the talent. It’s the rest of the BS.”
Kevin Donalson, a pastor whose son played sports with Williams at Gonzaga College high school, challenged Gabriel’s assertion, and things got a tad out of hand after that.
Greg Gabriel Calls Caleb Williams’ Friend a ‘Liar’
When Gabriel suggested there were off-the-field reasons to be concerned about Williams, Donalson chimed in.
“I have known Caleb since he was an 8th grader,” Donalson wrote. “You are making up stuff. Absolutely 0 issues in high school. 0 issues in college. Teammates love him. He’s never gotten into any trouble but you claim ‘the rest of the bs’.”
In response — a response he later deleted — Gabriel wrote: “You’re a liar.” Screenshots live forever, though, and one X user captured the exchange before Gabriel deleted it:
1.5 months til the draft and we have already hit “Bears beat reporter trying to beef with Caleb Williams pastor”
Perhaps Gabriel knew he took it took far and that’s why he deleted his response. Perhaps he just didn’t want to argue further. Either way, Gabriel didn’t add anything else to the conversation, nor did he provide any examples of what he was referring to regarding Williams off the field.
Donalson then wondered if the money Williams had received from name, image and likeness (NIL) might be upsetting some folks. He also pointed out the fact that Williams has never been in trouble for any incidents on the field or off.
“Maybe it’s NIL money that people don’t like but people calling him Johnny Manzel. Johnny had real Issues even in college. Arrested. Drunk. Caleb has had 0 issues like that,” Donalson noted.
Caleb Williams Is Doing Things a Bit Differently
Gabriel has been critical of Williams on multiple occasions, including the young QB’s decision to pass on doing the medical exams at the scouting combine. Instead of doing medicals at the combine, Williams will only give medical examinations to the teams he’s meeting with, not all 32 teams in the league.
“The Combine started in January 1985 the week after Super Bowl XIX. It has been held every year since except 2021 because of Covid. Williams is the first player to refuse to take the medical,” Gabriel posted. “There have been 39 Combines with well over 13,000 players attending and only 1 has refused to take the medical. Telling!!!” He added in a subsequent comment.
Athletes entering the NFL are angling for more agency, and they’re getting it. Williams is at the forefront of a new generation of athletes who are taking more control over their careers. And while there are no reports detailing any issues Williams has off the field, not even Gabriel can dispute what the QB has done on it.
In 2022, Williams went 333-500 for 4,537 yards, 42 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions, also rushing for 382 yards and 10 scores. Last season, Williams completed 68.6% of his passes for 3,633 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 5 picks.
It remains to be seen which team drafts him, but Williams-to-the-Bears feels like a near-certainty at this point.