Caleb Williams will likely be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. One former NFL quarterback says he should refuse to play for the Bears, the team with that top pick.
Former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III said a video posted to X that Williams should “pull an Eli Manning” and refuse to play for Chicago.
In 2004, Manning told the then-San Diego Chargers not to draft him because he didn’t like the path the franchise was heading down.
The Chargers still drafted Manning but then immediately traded him to the Giants for Phillip Rivers, the Giants’ 2004 third-round pick and their first and fifth-rounders in 2005.
Griffin said he believes Williams should do the same and used Justin Fields as the reason behind his thinking.
“With everything that just happened with Justin Fields, can Caleb Williams really look at that and say, ‘This is the organization that has my best interest in heart and they are going to help develop me into the player I want to become,’” said Griffin, the No. 2 pick by Washington in the 2012 NFL Draft.
Fields, the No. 11 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, was just traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for a 2025 conditional sixth-rounder that becomes a fourth if Fields plays more than 50% of the Steelers snaps.
Griffin’s main issue seems to be with the return the Bears got for Fields, suggesting the Bears should have gotten players back to help the team immediately.
He seemingly ignores that the value for Fields was not as high as first thought and a massive return was not a possibility despite Fields, 25, showing signs of development the past two seasons.
“I thought (Bears GM) Ryan Poles was having an amazing offseason up until this trade for Justin Fields. You trade Justin Fields to get some players back to help your team out this year.” Griffin said. “Because Ryan Poles and (head coach) Matt Eberflus, they are in a lame duck season. They have to win this year or they are going to get fired.”
The Bears have spent the offseason in win-now mode and adding pieces to the offense that should help Williams transition to the NFL.
Chicago signed running back D’Andre Swift in free agency and traded a fourth-round pick to the Chargers for veteran receiver Keenan Allen.
This is not the first time the idea of Williams not being thrilled with the idea of the Bears drafting him has been suggested.
Williams, though, touted the Bears in a recent ESPN interview, trying to dispel any notion of discontent.
“If I get drafted by the Bears, I’ll be excited,” Williams said. “If they trade the pick, and I get drafted by someone else, I’m just as excited. Speaking about Chicago, they have a talented team, a talented offense and defense. For anyone to be in that situation, I think they’d be excited.”
Williams, who played for a year at Oklahoma and then two at USC, won the Heisman Trophy in 2022 after throwing for more than 4,500 yards, 42 touchdowns and five interceptions.
He returned to USC for another year in the college level, but the Trojans had a disappointing season, finishing 8-5 after starting 6-0.
Williams still had a great season, throwing for 3,633 yards, 30 touchdowns and five interceptions.
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