Caleb Williams Spills the Beans on Vikings Rumors
A couple of weeks ago, a report from ESPN, via a newly published book, claimed that Chicago Bears franchise quarterback Caleb Williams secretly wanted to join the Minnesota Vikings during the 2024 NFL Draft.
Caleb Williams spoke Wednesday about the rumors of his ardor for the Vikings during the build-up to the 2024 NFL Draft.
Williams met with the Vikings in April 2024 and specifically with head coach Kevin O’Connell, later telling his father, “I need to go to the Vikings.”
That quip did not sit well with Bears fans, so Williams used a microphone Wednesday to clean up the rumor.
Caleb Williams Clears the Air on Vikings Report
Williams told reporters about the Vikings draft rumors: “Yeah, I had a good visit at the other place, Minnesota, with Kevin O’Connell. Good staff and all of that. Obviously, he just won Coach of the Year award, and things like that. So, obviously, good staff and things like that.”
“Something that keeps getting lost, something that keeps getting, I think, not being addressed the way it needs to be, is the fact that I went on that visit first, came here, and then after I came here. I went back home, talked to my dad, and all of the things that were supposed to be these big things that everybody’s been talking about recently — one, never happened in the sense of they were all thoughts, they were all ideas.”
Chicago picked Williams first overall in that draft, and Minnesota selected Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy at No. 10.
Williams added, “After I came on my visit here, it was a deliberate answer and — deliberate and determined answer — that I wanted to come here.”
So, Williams basically confirmed that he fell in love with the Vikings initially but had no qualms about ending up in Chicago. As simple as that.
Ben Johnson Weighs In, Too
New Bears head coach Ben Johnson also opined on the topic.
“It’s come to my attention that the quarterback’s been out in the media over the last week. And just to get out in front of that a little bit, I just wanted to say I wasn’t here last year, and so I can’t speak too much in terms of what it was like before he got here and when he got here last year,” Johnson said.
“But from my four months on the job, he’s been outstanding to work with. And we just are focused on getting a little better every day. … He’s his own man. He’s going to be treated as such. I think we’re both really looking forward to turning the page on years prior and focusing on the here and now.”
Johnson is correct: Williams’ infatuation with the Vikings happened before Johnson took the Bears’ big job. Chicago fired the previous head coach, Matt Eberflus, last November.
They All Want a Piece of Kevin O’Connell
From a Vikings standpoint, Williams’ desire to end up in purple can be interpreted as further evidence that quarterbacks, on the whole, view O’Connell in a favorable light.
Williams wanted to join Minnesota, Aaron Rodgers echoed the same sentiments this offseason, and the Twin Cities are currently known as the spot to revive quarterbacks’ careers. Sam Darnold can attest.
O’Connell’s reputation is renowned.
Just Another Twist to Vikings-Bears Rivalry
To be clear, not much matters now regarding Williams’ pre-draft preferences. He’s the Bears’ QB1, and that won’t change anytime soon.
But because Williams and McCarthy turned pro from the same draft, coupled with Williams’ not-so-subtle affinity for Minnesota, the rivalry will be highlighted by the two quarterbacks for the next few years, perhaps several.
Williams v. McCarthy will always carry the Seth Wickersham caveat, the man who broke the story for ESPN from the now-infamous book.
Williams May Acutally Be Set Up for Success
From the Bears’ perspective, Williams may actually be in line to thrive this year. Johnson has a sterling reputation as an architect for the Detroit Lions offense, working as the Lions’ offensive coordinator during their recent rise to power.
Meanwhile, Chicago has offensive weapons aplenty in Rome Odunze, D.J. Moore, Luther Burden III, and Colston Loveland.
Justin Fields had no such accommodations.
Bears-Themed Media Ready to Move On from Vikings Mess
After Williams’ clarification this week, it became rather evident that Bears-themed media was ready to conclude the Vikings chapter of their offseason. Many Bears fans and analysts used Williams’ comments to dismiss the ESPN report and book excerpt as a nothingburger.
BearGogglesOn.com‘s Ryan Heckman wrote, “Caleb Williams obliterates Vikings draft rumor with brutal honesty. As it turns out, much of the media blew this entire thing way out of proportion. There were plenty of reasons for fans to raise an eyebrow thanks to Wickersham’s report, but the Vikings aspect was the one that hurt the most.”
“For fans who took it to heart, Williams’ candid response was welcomed. There are others who didn’t give this report a second thought, of course. It seemed odd for this report to surface over a year after he was drafted and also after the Bears had put together an entirely new staff.”
A franchise quarterback saying, “I need to go to the Vikings,” isn’t a good look. So, it made all the sense in the world that voices like Heckman were eager to move on.
Heckman added, “Things had changed drastically. And, to be frank, no one would have blamed Williams for not wanting to come to Chicago if it had been true. In other words, the only thing that matters is the here and now.”
“Fortunately, though, Williams never desired to go to Minnesota over Chicago. He was set on changing the tide. He wanted to turn things around. After all, that’s why the Bears brought him in at no. 1 overall, and he also said as much within his response.”
The offseason talker will come to a head on September 8th when Williams’ Bears host J.J. McCarthy’s Vikings on Week 1 Monday Night Football.
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