Explosive ESPN Allegation Hits Vikings’ Doorstep
That wasn’t on the offseason bingo board.
The Vikings somehow found their way into an explosive ESPN story regarding Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams.
ESPN published an article on Thursday, one day after the NFL’s schedule release, citing a new book that will reveal that Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams had some concerns about the organization leading up to the 2024 NFL Draft.
Somehow, the Vikings were lassoed into the bombshell report, as Williams evidently wanted to play for Minnesota — not Chicago.
Caleb Williams Allegedly Wanted to Play for the Vikings
The article stated: “After an up-and-down final season at USC, Caleb Williams was unsure of what he wanted to do as he prepared for the 2024 draft. At the NFL combine that year, he met with Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell. The two hit it off, and Caleb Williams began to dream of what it would be like to play for Minnesota.”
Williams reportedly told his dad, “I need to go to the Vikings.”
To which his father replied, “Let’s do it.”
The Bears ultimately drafted Williams first overall 13 months ago, and there wasn’t much mystery about the selection at the time. But Williams’ desire to play for the purple team is brand new.
Awful Timing for the Bears
The timing of ESPN’s shocking revelation couldn’t be worse.
Chicago hired new head coach Ben Johnson from the Detroit Lions this offseason, looking to turn the page on the Matt Eberflus era that ended in sorrow. General manager Ryan Poles constructed a pretty fancy free agency and onboarded tight end Colston Loveland and wide receiver Luther Burden III from the draft six weeks later.
Things are — were — looking up for Chicago at long last. Now, the outrageous report about Williams not wanting to be there in the first place falls into its lap. Oofta.
Continued Evidence of “Quarterback Whisperer” Kevin O’Connell
Williams likely wanted to play for Minnesota because of the team’s head coach, Kevin O’Connell. He is known as a leaguewide “quarterback whisperer,” and he and Williams apparently hit it off before the draft.
The problem? Minnesota didn’t have anything near a Top 3 draft pick for Williams in 2024, and Chicago wasn’t about to trade the Williams pick to a division rival. Not in a million years.
Still, Williams’ yearning to be a Viking is continued evidence of O’Connell as a hot commodity. Until Ben Johnson, Chicago had no such coach.
The Jordan Addison Angle
Wide receiver Jordan Addison works for the Vikings, and he played alongside Williams at USC for one season.
The two are pals, and perhaps a side dish of Williams’ ardor for Minnesota was his buddy, Addison. The two teased a same-team NFL duo on social media before the draft, though most agreed it was all in jest.
According to ESPN and the referenced book, Williams may not have been teasing.
Overall, a Moot Point Now
Of course, the information is useless now for Minnesota’s sake. The club can’t trade for Williams, nor would it want to with J.J. McCarthy itching to play QB1.
The report, though, paints Chicago in a nasty light while exalting Minnesota, which should do wonders for the rivalry, at least for fans at the water cooler.
More Context from ESPN
ESPN added more beef to the report: “Quarterback Caleb Williams was so concerned about being picked by the Chicago Bears in 2024 that he and his family weighed circumventing the entire NFL draft, consulting with lawyers to figure out a way around the league’s collective bargaining agreement while considering signing with the United Football League, details from a forthcoming book reveal.”
“The forthcoming book, to be published in September, offers a detailed account of what it means to be a quarterback at various levels, from high school to college to the NFL, and what it’s like for legends in retirement.”
Williams will actually play against the Vikings in Week 1 of the 2025 season — on Monday Night Football.
ESPN added, “It features unprecedented access with dozens of quarterbacks and generational greats such as John Elway, Johnny Unitas, Warren Moon, members of the Manning family and Steve Young, among others. It also includes current signal-callers such as Kirk Cousins and Drake Maye.”
“Additionally, there are new details inside the ruthless recruitment of Texas quarterback Arch Manning, and the youth quarterback circuit. It also chronicles LSU quarterback Colin Hurley’s near-death car wreck in January and subsequent full recovery. Wickersham is an ESPN reporter; his first book on the New England Patriots was a New York Times bestseller. This book offers an inside look at Williams’ state of mind.”
Naturally, some Bears fans used social media to call the allegations “fake news” — a common phrase in contemporary America used to denigrate accurate information unfavorable to one’s agenda.
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