Last offseason, the Minnesota Vikings made waves by showing up at USC’s pro day — a notable move since quarterbacks coach Josh McCown was on hand to watch Caleb Williams, who would later become the No. 1 pick by the Chicago Bears.
Now, just over a year later, it’s become clear that Williams actually had his sights set on Minnesota.
On May 15, ESPN released excerpts from Seth Wickersham’s new book, American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback, which revealed that Williams wanted to avoid landing with the Bears and instead hoped to join the Vikings. After a rocky final season at USC and a meeting with Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell at the 2024 NFL Combine, Williams reportedly told his father, Carl, “I need to go to the Vikings.”
Carl Williams supported the idea, but with Chicago locked into taking Williams and not entertaining trade talks, their options were limited.
According to the book, their only viable path was to “go on the offensive” against the Bears publicly — a strategy similar to the one John Elway and his father used in 1983 to escape the Baltimore Colts and land with the Denver Broncos. Unlike Williams, Elway had the leverage of a pro baseball career.
Carl Williams even considered an alternative route: seeking a path to unrestricted free agency through the United Football League.
“I wasn’t ready to nuke the city,” Caleb told Wickersham — a reference to the drastic measures that might’ve been needed to avoid Chicago.
Under his current rookie deal — a four-year, $39.5 million contract — Williams won’t be eligible for unrestricted free agency until 2028. However, with a potential fifth-year option and franchise tags, the Bears could retain control of his rights through 2032.
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