Caleb Williams wanted to join Vikings and ditch Bears before Ryan Poles made final stance clear: Report

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams attempted to avoid being drafted by the team. The No. 1 pick in 2024 reportedly expressed strong interest in joining the Minnesota Vikings instead.

The revelations come from Seth Wickersham's forthcoming book "American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback," set to be published in September.

According to details from the book shared by ESPN on Thursday, Williams had significant concerns about joining the Bears.

"I need to go to the Vikings," Williams told his father, Carl Williams, after meeting Minnesota coach Kevin O'Connell at the NFL combine in February 2024. The two reportedly connected well during their interaction.

Chicago Bears v Green Bay Packers - Source: Getty

Carl supported his son's desire, responding: "Let's do it." However, both recognized that engineering a trade to a divisional rival posed an extraordinary challenge.

Bears GM's strong stance gave Caleb Williams no options

Chicago Bears v Green Bay Packers - Source: Getty

Caleb Williams' father, Carl Williams, expressed harsh views about the Bears leading up to the 2024 draft. "Chicago is the place quarterbacks go to die," Carl Williams told ESPN's Seth Wickersham.

Carl went to extraordinary lengths trying to circumvent the NFL draft system. The book details how he consulted with labor lawyers and spoke with Archie Manning about Eli Manning's 2004 draft situation. He also considered whether his son could sign with the United Football League to become an NFL free agent in 2025.

"I don't want my son playing for the Bears," Carl reportedly told several agents in 2024, via 'American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback.'

He also criticized the NFL's rookie wage scale, calling the collective bargaining agreement "the worst piece of s*** I've ever read. It's the worst in sports history."

Despite these maneuvers, Bears general manager Ryan Poles remained firm in his position.

"We're drafting you (Caleb) no matter what," Poles said.

The book reveals that Caleb and his father considered publicly attacking Chicago and the Bears organization, similar to what John Elway did with the Baltimore Colts in 1983. They hoped that strategy might make drafting Caleb untenable for the team.

"He's worried about me taking bullets," Carl said. " ... I don't care. I just don't agree with this s---, you know? I'm more interested in making sure that he can do what he wants to do."

Caleb ultimately decided against this option.

"I wasn't ready to nuke the city," Caleb said.

"I can do it for this team," Caleb told his dad. "I'm going to go to the Bears."

While Caleb's rookie season proved challenging with coaching turnover and a 10-game losing streak, Chicago made significant changes heading into 2025. The organization hired former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson as its coach, which has Caleb excited about his sophomore campaign.