Caleb Williams Calls off Scheduled Visit with the Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears, holding the top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, are widely expected to select USC quarterback Caleb Williams. Despite this apparent connection, why did Williams decide to cancel his planned top-30 visit with the Bears this week? Kalyn Kahler, senior writer for The Athletic, reported the cancellation on Friday.

Caleb Williams’ team explained that the reason for his decision was logistical. Since Caleb is currently training in Jacksonville, Florida, he prefers to avoid traveling from Indianapolis for the combine, then to Chicago for a visit, back to Jacksonville, and then out west to USC for his Pro Day.

Concern surrounds Caleb Williams.

As Kalyn Kahler suggested, the reasons could be either logistical challenges or a deliberate choice to avoid the Bears. Given Kahler’s previous coverage of Caleb, it’s reasonable to assume she has some understanding of the circumstances.

What does the term “Top-30 Visit” mean?

Before the draft, each of the 32 NFL teams can invite up to 30 players for individual visits to their facilities, allowing for private meetings. A team’s “top-30 visit” list typically consists of players the team is particularly interested in drafting.

Traditionally, teams tend to schedule these visits towards the end of March or early April. So, why are the Bears attempting to bring Williams to Halas Hall so early?

Caleb Williams or Justin Fields

The Chicago Bears intended to schedule Caleb Williams for a visit much earlier than the expected timeframe for top-30 visits. Why? Because of the timeline to potentially trade Justin Fields.

During his pre-combine press conference, Ryan Poles expressed the Chicago Bears management’s desire to “do right by” Justin Fields in the event of a potential trade. Poles aims to have Fields settled with a new team before the NFL free agency begins on March 13, allowing him to start afresh as soon as possible.

Kahler speculated on NBC Sports that the Bears might be frustrated because it disrupts the timeline for moving Justin Fields. It’s important to note that no Bears officials explicitly stated this; it was purely Kahler’s conjecture.

Newzrays.also proposed a theory: since Caleb Williams didn’t submit any medical data at the combine, he will only provide it to teams he visits. If the Bears intend to confirm Williams as their top pick, his medical evaluation will be crucial.

It’s logical to assume that this evaluation would be rescheduled for after USC’s Pro Day on March 20th. However, there hasn’t been any official announcement of a top-30 visit for Caleb with the Bears yet.

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