Caleb Williams’ rookie contract was reportedly held up by 1 factor

Apr 26, 2024; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears number one draft choice Caleb Williams at a press conference at Halas Hall. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams waited until the day of training camp to sign his rookie deal, and a new report suggests that one major factor was the root cause of the hold-up.

Williams wanted the Bears to include language guaranteeing that he could not be franchise tagged when his rookie deal expires, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The Bears refused to blink, however, and Williams’ contract ultimately included no such language.

The demand represents an ambitious move for Williams. Only a handful of veteran players had succeeded in getting such a clause inserted in a contract, and no rookie ever had. Ultimately, Williams did not have a ton of leverage to get the Bears to agree to such a demand, so it is not shocking that he did not succeed.

Williams wound up getting the standard $39 million deal guaranteed by the rookie wage scale.

It does not appear that he got any special clauses inserted at all, so the lengthy standoff ultimately ended with Williams signing the deal most would have expected him to.