Roster Move: Bears sign Caleb Williams

Caleb Williams, a quarterback selected in the first round of the draft, inked a four-year contract with a five-year option with the Bears on Wednesday.

Williams, the first pick of the draft by the Bears, amassed 120 touchdowns throughout his three seasons at Oklahoma (2021) and USC (2022–2023). With 33 starts, the 6-1, 215-pound player saw action in 37 games. He completed 66.9% of his throws for 9,782 yards and 93 touchdowns, and on 289 attempts, he ran for 966 yards and 27 scores.

In 2022, Williams was a sophomore at USC and won the Heisman Trophy after rushing for 382 yards and 10 touchdowns on 113 tries and passing for 4,537 yards with 42 touchdowns and five interceptions. In addition, he was awarded the AP collegiate Football Player of the Year, Sporting News Player of the Year, Walter Camp Award winner, and winner of the Maxwell Award as the best player in collegiate football.

The native of Washington, D.C., passed for 3,333 yards last year with 30 touchdowns and five interceptions. On 97 tries, he ran for 142 yards and 11 touchdowns.

The Bears have designed a strategy to maximize Williams’ chances of success. He had worked out with experienced receivers DJ Moore and Keenan Allen, been named their starting quarterback going into rookie minicamp in May, and had visited Halas Hall with the top 30 players to learn about the offense, including terminology and principles. The Bears worked with Williams’ own quarterback coach, Will Hewlitt, to aid with his preparation as well.
All five of the Bears’ 2024 draft picks are now under contract. The team’s first training camp practice at Halas Hall is scheduled for Saturday.