Ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft, Caleb Williams and his father, Carl Williams, reportedly looked for ways around going to the Chicago Bears first overall, including demanding a trade to the Minnesota Vikings, consulting lawyers to evade the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement and even signing with the United Football League (UFL).

ESPN Writer Seth Wickersham‘s forthcoming book, American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback, details Williams’ pre- and post-Draft journey, alongside the stories of other iconic quarterbacks, including Johnny Unitas and the Mannings.

“I don’t want my son playing for the Bears,” the elder Williams reportedly told multiple agents leading up to the Draft. That hesitation was understandable. The Bears have famously never had a 4,000-yard season from a quarterback. They’ve had two Pro Bowl selections since 1950, and one of them was Mitch Trubisky as a replacement in 2018.

The coaching also presented an issue for the Williams family. At the time, the Bears employed Matt Eberflus as their head coach and Shane Waldron as their offensive coordinator. Caleb, skeptical of the coaching staff, wondered, “Do I want to go there? I don’t think I can do it with Waldron.”

As it turns out, both have now been replaced following a season best represented by a Week 8 loss to the Washington Commanders, sealed by Jayden Daniels‘ Hail Mary. Eberflus was fired mid-season, at the end of November. The Bears, who had gone 4-2 prior to the Washington game, finished the season with ten consecutive losses and one win.

On the other side of the coaching coin, Caleb had hit it off with Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell at the NFL Combine. He and his father made their preferences clear, including to the Chicago brass, but the Bears did not budge. Said general manager Ryan Poles, “We’re drafting you no matter what.”

Not wanting to get into a public firestorm, Caleb acquiesced. “I wasn’t ready to nuke the city,” he told Wickersham.

It’s undeniable that Williams felt the full brunt of that decision during his rookie year. While other rookie quarterbacks – particularly Daniels, who went on to win Rookie of the Year – benefitted from a stable coaching staff, Williams’ head coach was fired in the middle of the year. And even before that, Williams wasn’t receiving much guidance from the coaching staff.

“No one tells me what [film] to watch,” Williams told his father. “I just turn it on.”

Williams played decently, but didn’t live up to the hype. He was also sacked a league-leading 68 times. It looked like a confirmation of all his greatest fears about the Bears organization.

The organizational turnaround, though, looks promising. Chicago has replaced Eberflus with respected Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and added young offensive coordinator Declan Doyle. The team also invested in quarterback protection, trading for Kansas City Chiefs’ four-time All-Pro guard Joe Thuney.

There are still questions about Chicago as an organization, and there’s a limit to the turnaround you can really expect from Johnson’s hiring. Still, Williams ultimately committed to the Bears, and the team seems to be doing its best to build around him.

“I see a chance for greatness here for him,” said Johnson. “He’s been communicated that way, and he feels the same way. I don’t know what’s gone on prior to him joining the organization, but he is very proud to be a Chicago Bear.”

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams is reportedly experiencing growing pains during his first NFL training camp. The 2024 first-overall pick struggled in a 7-on-7 drill Thursday, throwing multiple near-interceptions and completing just three passes.

Early reports on Williams’ progression in early drills have been inconsistent, with players and outside observers forming a number of opinions on his performance. His practice Thursday, however, was the first that media members could view, and the results were less than promising.

“Rough day for Caleb and the starting offense,” beat reporter Nicholas Moreano posted on X. “Many incompletions and near INTs. In 7-on-7, Williams completed only three passes. [Jaylon Johnson] had a near-INT over the middle. In team period, most completions were to the flat; Williams held onto the ball for a long time.”

Moreano added that receivers Rome Odunze and Keenan Allen were both unavailable for practice, as Odunze is dealing with a knee injury and Allen had a family matter. That could have had a serious impact on Williams’ performance as he tries to decipher a new offense. As receiver D.J. Moore pointed out, Williams isn’t the only one with something to learn.

“Right now we’re all just getting used to each other,” Moore said. “We all have to learn a new offense right now. With him, you just have to know that the growing pains are going to be there. For a rookie, I think he’s 22? 23?, so you know you’ve got a lot to learn and a lot to accomplish in such a short amount of time.”

Bears head coach Matt Eberflus has also been tolerant of Williams’ early mistakes. He considers momentary lapses inevitable for a rookie quarterback and has been happy with Williams’ progression.

“I see progress for sure,” Eberflus said when asked about Williams, according to NBC Sports. “It’s going to continue to be that way. He’s been in early, stays late, asking questions at night — he’s got his iPad at night in the hotel and has been working his tail off.”

While Williams takes time to learn an NFL offense for the first time, the Bears will spend the next few months developing a new system around a radically improved offensive roster. In addition to drafting Williams and Odunze and trading for Allen, the team also acquired running back D’Andre Swift from the Eagles. The rookie quarterback could be stepping into a team ready to win from the very beginning.

Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Alan Williams resigned Wednesday, citing unspecified health reasons. Williams has been in the NFL since 2001, working for five teams in various positions.

“I am taking a step back to take care of my health and family,” Williams said in a statement. “I appreciate the opportunity to work with the Chicago Bears, a storied NFL franchise with a rich history.”

A one-sentence statement from the Bears was similarly nondescript, and all that is known is that Williams intends to return to football at some point in the future. His Chicago attorney, Andrew M. Stroth, told ESPN that the coach is leaving the Bears on good terms.

“He has tremendous respect for the Bears organization and he just thought it was the time to handle this health issue and his personal matters,” Stroth said.

After coaching at William & Mary from 1995 to 2000, Williams made his NFL coaching debut in 2001, when he worked as a defensive assistant for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He only stayed for a single season before becoming the Indianapolis Colts’ defensive backs coach. He remained with the Colts until 2011 and returned for another stint in the same position between 2018 and 2021. In between his Colts tenures, he was briefly the Minnesota Vikings’ defensive coordinator in 2012 and 2013 and also worked as a defensive backs coach for the Detroit Lions.

Williams’ resignation puts the Bears further on the back foot, as most of the team’s struggles so far have come as a result of a stagnant offense. Quarterback yes has not yet lived up to his status as the aspiring franchise quarterback and the team has lost two games to begin 2023. Now the team must carry on without its defensive coordinator, who tried and failed to keep Chicago in contention against the Packers and Buccaneers.

Until the Bears find a permanent replacement for Williams, head coach Matt Eberflus will call plays on defense.

Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich has tested positive for COVID-19 despite being fully vaccinated.

“I’m excited for training camp, however, I’m disappointed I won’t be there with the team as we start,” Reich said in a statement. “I’m fortunate to be fully vaccinated, and I’m asymptomatic. I’m feeling well, and I’m looking forward to returning as soon as I’m medically cleared.”

The earliest Reich can return to camp is on Monday, Colts general manager Chris Ballard said. “I think Frank testing positive and showing no symptoms shows [vaccination] works,” Ballard said. “It’s a shame in our country right now that we’ve politicized something good.”

Since NFL personnel returned to work last month, four players and 13 staffers have tested positive for COVID-19 despite being vaccinated. Those numbers include positive tests for one player and one staffer this past weekend. Reich tested positive Thursday or Friday of last week, Ballard said. The general manager added that a staffer is the only other member of the organization to test positive, but Ballard did not provide the media with a specific name.

The NFL and NFLPA have been in discussions to increase the testing for vaccinated staff and players as an extra precaution.

Reich will not be there physically but he will still be involved in meetings through Zoom and will remain in contact with the players and staff. The team will not name an interim coach, as special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone will handle things in practice because he has seniority among the rest of the coaching staff. However, he will get help from offensive coordinator Marcus Brady and defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus.