Caleb Williams Excites Vikings Fans on Instagram with “Hint”
The Chicago Bears own the 2024 NFL Draft’s 1st 0verall pick, a total greenlight to select USC’s Caleb Williams in 99 days.
Chicago, though, may stand pat with incumbent quarterback Justin Fields and trade the pick for a king’s ransom like it did last year with the Carolina Panthers.
Caleb Williams Excites Vikings Fans on Instagram with “Hint”
And based on Caleb Williams’ Instagram dealings this week, some Minnesota Vikings fans ran wild with a dream that the rookie quarterback could land with the purple team.
A USC teammate of current Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison, Williams commented on an Addison post, sending a handful of Vikings enthusiasts into speculative bliss. Addison posted a picture of himself and Kirk Cousins with a comment: “Used to dream bout this, I can’t believe I’m here.”
Williams promptly replied, “See you soon brotha.”
Of course, Williams likely means in the NFL, on the whole, not specifically the Vikings. The comment also could’ve meant something akin to seeing Addison in real life sometime soon. Here’s the exchange on Instagram:
Editor Josh Frey of PurplePTSD, a sister site to VikingsTerritory, described Williams this week, “The USC product has been one of the best improvisers at the quarterback position in all of college football. Williams’ arm talent is absolutely incredible, allowing him to make throws from anywhere in the backfield. He can stand in the pocket and hit receivers in stride, or he can scramble outside of the pocket and throw on the run as well as any draft prospect we’ve seen over the past couple of years.”
For over a year, after his fantastic 2022 season at USC, draft pundits have labeled Williams as “generational,” akin to Trevor Lawrence or Andrew Luck per immediate NFL impact. The only matter left was which team would lose enough in 2023 to secure the 1st overall pick in April to net his services. Because of a trade last year with the Panthers, that’s the Bears.
However, there’s no law stating Chicago must draft Williams. It could retain Fields and trade the pick to a quarterback-needy team. According to the Williams Instagram truthers, that could be the Vikings, although an intradivisional trade for a prospect like Williams seems severely unlikely.
In one year at USC, with Williams delivering the rock, Addison tabulated 59 receptions for 875 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns. He spent 11 games at USC, transferring from Pittsburgh after the 2021 collegiate season. Williams and Addison are buddies, so Vikings fans will hold onto hope that the connection could somehow situate Williams in Minnesota during the draft. A longshot, to be sure.
With or without Williams on the menu, the Vikings have less than eight weeks to decide on Kirk Cousins’ fate. He’s scheduled to hit free agency in March and, sans an extension with the Vikings, can sign anywhere in the league.
Williams has -1,000 odds from oddsmakers to be selected first in April.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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