NFL Execs Have One Big Fear About Caleb Williams Ahead Of Draft

During his scouting combine presser, Caleb Williams spoke to the media for the first time in months. He came across as confident, smart, and clear on what his goals are. There was no indication he was overwhelmed by the moment. In other words, he looked like a prospect everybody believes will be the first quarterback off the board in April. Not much has changed regarding the Chicago Bears. Almost every national and local outlet still thinks they will ultimately be the one to take Williams when the dust settles.

However, this idea that the league views him as the perfect prospect is a complete fabrication. There are plenty of concerns about Williams, both as a player and a person—particularly the latter. Instances have appeared over the past three years of somebody who isn't what you'd call a traditional personality. Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune got in touch with multiple executives around the league to get a gauge on Williams. Some of the responses he got were interesting.

It might give one pause about dropping him into an environment like Chicago.

Inside league circles, Williams has been described as having a bit of an introverted personality that can make it hard for others to connect. He also has certain personality eccentricities, the executive said, that, at a minimum, will have to be acknowledged and managed.

“He’s not just your normal grind, work-hard, guy’s-guy quarterback,” the exec said. “He’s very different than that. And that’s OK. But you at least better be aware of that.”

That executive wouldn’t put a “high maintenance” warning on Williams but did deduce that the quarterback has been “coddled” throughout his high school and college years and has been able to “live the high life for a while now.”

“You’ll have to humble him, really,” the executive said. “It’s ‘Yeah, you’re going to be the guy. But you have to do all the (crap) the other rookies have to do. You have to work your ass off. You have to be on time to everything. You have to stay late watching film.’ Can Caleb do that? I don’t know. But those things affect the building.”

Can Caleb Williams handle Chicago? It's a fair question.

Up until now, the young quarterback has enjoyed the red carpet treatment. He was welcomed to Oklahoma as a prize after becoming a star in high school. Then, he received the same when he transferred to USC after a stellar freshman year for the Sooners. Though he might be the #1 overall pick, one thing is certain. He better not expect similar treatment in Chicago. This fanbase has been burned at quarterback way too many times to instantly trust Williams as their savior. People will be demanding of him from the jump, unafraid to give him grief whenever he struggles.

There is a reason Ryan Poles said he must be careful searching for the right quarterback. He knows playing in Chicago will be challenging. Caleb Williams is a terrific talent, but he will need unshakeable self-confidence if he's going to survive the firestorm of criticism that will come his way. Most previous Bears quarterbacks couldn't handle it. Jim McMahon and Jay Cutler were the only ones. Maybe Poles has the same concerns about him as others do. It will be interesting to see if the narrative shifts once the combine is over.