Who's Caleb Williams's father? Why didn't he want the QB to join Chicago bears?

In Seth Wickersham's upcoming book, 'American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback,' the author makes some rather surprising claims. He shares insight into what the months leading up to the draft were like for Chicago's now franchise quarterback Caleb Williams.

"Do I want to go there? I don't think I can do it with [former Bears offensive coordinator Shane] Waldron," Williams said aloud to trusted confidants. It turned out, Williams was right to question the tactics of the coaching staff. Waldron was dismissed nine games into the season, and head coach Matt Eberflus was fired shortly after the season ended. Two points to the Williams family.

Caleb Williams's father Carl, is making the headlines for his past rant against the Bears

It was Caleb's father who has attracted his fans' attention in the light of the new revelations. "I don't want my son playing for the Bears," the elder Williams told several agents in 2024. His father even contacted Archie Manning, who helped his son Eli Manning gain control over his college destination in 2004.

The family met with labour lawyers and agents, even contemplating if the USC quarterback should sign with the United Football League for a year before entering the NFL. Carl also had significant concerns about the rookie wage scale, arguing that his son's value would be diminished in Chicago, costing him hundreds of millions in potential market-value income.

"The rookie cap is just unconstitutional," Carl Williams told Wickersham. He called the CBA the "worst piece of s*** I've ever read. It's the worst in sports history."

Bears QB Caleb Williams was so concerned about being picked by Chicago that he and his family weighed circumventing the entire NFL draft😳

"Chicago is the place quarterbacks go to die," Carl Williams told Seth Wickersham.

(via ESPN) pic.twitter.com/Y65OFhU99Q

— Football Forever (@fballforeverhq) May 15, 2025

Carl Williams, Caleb's father, entered the spotlight during Caleb's first year at USC after transferring, especially as Caleb aimed for the Heisman Trophy. Carl spoke publicly about Caleb's decision to leave Oklahoma and the controversy surrounding head coach Lincoln Riley. He was also key to the NFL draft discussions when it became clear that the Bears would pick first overall, thanks to owning the Panthers' last-place first-round pick.

Williams admired the Vikings and head coach Kevin O’Connell during the pre-draft process and had admitted that he wanted to play there. However, he believed the Bears were unlikely to trade the pick to a division rival. Aware that Bears general manager Ryan Poles was probably going to select him first overall, Williams and his father thought the only way to prevent the Bears from taking him was to launch a smear campaign against the team. Ultimately, according to the book, Caleb Williams decided he “wasn’t ready to nuke the city.”

At the NFL Scouting Combine, Williams stated he was open to playing for the Bears. “If I get drafted by the Bears, I’ll be excited,” Williams said on March 1, 2024. “If they trade the pick, and I get drafted by someone else, I’m just as excited.”