Caleb Williams not worried about lack of rookie contract with Bears originally appeared in NBC Sports Chicago
LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Caleb Williams will join the final week of the Bears’ offseason program no rookie contract, but that doesn’t weigh on the No. 1 overall pick’s mind.
The rookie quarterback does not have an NFLPA-certified agent, but he does have a team of lawyers working to negotiate the deal with general manager Ryan Poles.
Williams knows the deal will get done and that’s not something he needs to worry about as he prepares to enter the next phase of the Bears’ development program.
“I’m not going to deal with it,” Williams said of his contract after the final practice of the Bears’ mandatory minicamp at Halas Hall last Thursday. “I’ve been focusing on the last three days of minicamp, the OTAs before that and the rookie camp before that. I haven’t been focusing on that. Poles and my team are focused on this. I have lawyers and attorneys to take care of things like that, so I can be free-minded on the field, enjoying going to work every day and working until the end.”
As of Monday, 13 first-round picks had yet to sign deals, including Williams and wide receiver Rome Odunze, who the Bears selected with the No. 9 overall pick.
Drake Maye and Bo Nix are the only two first-round quarterbacks to have signed their contracts so far. Williams, 2nd overall pick Jayden Daniels, 8th overall pick Michael Penix Jr. and 10th overall pick JJ McCarthy are currently unsigned.
Williams has spent the spring focusing on learning offensive coordinator Shane Waldron’s system and adjust to the speed of NFL defenses. Once the offseason program ends on Wednesday, Williams and his staff can begin hammering out a deal with the Bears.
It’s not uncommon for rookie contracts to not be signed until late June or July, and there’s no reason to believe that will prevent Williams from being on the field when the Bears open training camp in mid-July.
The NFL has a salary scale for rookies that is set according to the draft pick. Williams’ four-year contract is expected to be worth $39.4 million, with a $25.5 million signing bonus. The deal is expected to include a fifth-year club option for the 2028 season.
