FACT CHECK: Was Halas Hall raided? Examining wild rumors around Chicago Bears after Alan Williams’ resignation

The Chicago Bears have fallen on hard times. They’ve had one winning season out of their last ten campaigns and haven’t won a playoff game since 2010. The Bears also gave up 65 points in their first two games of 2023, both losses.

When their season couldn’t get any worse, Federal Bureau of Investigation agents allegedly raided Halas Hall because of defensive coordinator Alan Williams. Things got weirder when Williams suddenly resigned from his post.

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FBI agents did not raid Halas Hall, the Chicago Bears headquarters

Williams was not with the Bears during their Week 2 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus said he took a break due to a personal matter. Eberflus took over as defensive coordinator in that game, which the Bears lost 27-17.

Days after Williams’ absence, Jon Zaghoul of the Sports Talk Chicago YouTube channel tweeted that FBI agents raided Halas Hall. He also mentioned that Williams’ home was raided after the Bears’ Week 1 38-20 loss to the Green Bay Packers.

While the reasons for the alleged raids are unknown, Zaghoul also posted that former Bears player turned FBI agent Charles “Peanut” Tillman was allegedly involved. Tillman reportedly broke the news about Williams’ criminal activity to Eberflus, general manager Ryan Poles, and president Kevin Warren.

Tillman played for the Chicago Bears from 2003 to 2014. He was a 2012 First Team All-Pro member and a two-time Pro Bowler. He holds the record for most forced fumbles in a season (10) and a game (4). The former NFL cornerback also won the 2013 NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year award.

Having the FBI involved means a person or a group has committed severe criminal activity. However, no one knows the severity of Williams’ transgressions, leading the FBI to take action via a raid. The problem is that none of Zaghoul’s tweets were true.

NFL Network National Insider Ian Rapoport tweeted that the FBI did not raid Halas Hall and that the NFL nor Tillman was involved. NBC News’ Natalie Kainz also reported that Bears Vice President of Communications, Brandon Faber, confirmed no raids at Halas Hall or Williams’ home happened.

Bears reporter for 670 The Score and Audacy, Chris Emma, also shared the team’s spokesperson's statement that the FBI or the police weren’t at Halas Hall.

What’s definitive, though, is that Williams resigned as Bears defensive coordinator, adding another blackeye to the team’s disastrous start.

Before joining the Bears last season, Williams had coaching stints with the Buccaneers, Indianapolis Colts, Minnesota Vikings, and Detroit Lions. He started his coaching career at Norview High School in 1992 and transferred to William & Mary as running backs coach four years later.

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Why did former Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Alan Williams resign?

Long-time Bears writer for the Chicago Tribune, Brad Biggs, tweeted that several speculations arose from Williams’ sudden resignation. It’s universal, though, that everyone invested in this situation believes there’s more to the former Bears defensive coordinator’s hasty exit.

However, ESPN’s Courtney Cronin reported that Williams’ attorney, Andrew M. Stroth, revealed that health concerns and family issues forced Alan Williams to resign. Cronin also tweeted Stroth’s statement regarding his client.

Meanwhile, Cronin also posted Williams’ resignation statement. A portion of it reads:

“I value the NFL shield and all that it stands for, and after taking some time to address my health, I plan to come back and coach again.”

While the Chicago Bears continue the season without Williams, football fans will closely monitor his story to unearth the reason behind his sudden resignation.