In response to Colin Cowherd’s outlandish claim on Thursday that Williams did not want to play for the Bears, Williams’ team sent a statement. According to Andrew Prouse of CCS, Cowherd predicted that Williams would probably insist on trading the top choice to the Washington Commanders, Williams’ home team:

“I continue to argue—you will probably think I’m crazy—that it is conceivable for Washington to trade up and Chicago to permit it. Cowherd stated, “Because Caleb and his group do not want to go to Chicago.”

“Dan Quinn is taken into consideration; he’s from the Washington, DC, area. The main issue for Caleb Williams—and you have to acknowledge this—is that Chicago has never had a standout quarterback.

Prior to the draft, Williams’ camp sent a request to the Bears.

Williams’ group took issue with Cowherd’s conjecture on national radio. To clarify that Williams is not opposed to the Bears selecting him in the draft, they hired the sports radio host. Williams’ camp, however, made it known that the highly regarded quarterback wishes for the team to select a wide receiver with the ninth overall pick in the draft:

“So, the Caleb Williams camp called me and said, ‘Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa, Colin. We do not wish to be characterized as anti-Chicago or anti-Bear supporters.

“Listen, we don’t want to go to a city that doesn’t care,” they made it very evident to me. Chicago is large, loud, and passionate, and they care. Coaches are fired on a regular basis. They are concerned. We don’t want to go to some Sun Belt place where you tarp off the upper deck.’

The Houston Texans, who have a defensive coordinator, a few weapons, cap room, and a good pick—they have a second pick and can acquire another weapon—are one such team that has demonstrated that there is a route to success in Chicago.

There was no truth to the reports that Williams did not want to be drafted by Chicago. Williams claims to be a business in a tweet that is pinned to his X page. He is aware that Washington’s market is significantly smaller than Chicago’s.

The Chicago Bears must take Williams’ request seriously.

Williams is aware that in order to expand his company, he must succeed. And unless the Bears make an investment in him and the offense, it won’t occur. Williams is aware that in order to flourish in Chicago, he will require a wide receiver in addition to D.J. Moore.

In the previous draft, Justin Fields requested that the Bears select Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The Bears selected D.J. Moore and Darnell Wright with the first overall pick. With those expenditures, Fields was unable to deter the Bears from considering selecting Williams in the April draft.

If the Bears had selected JSN to go with Moore in the 2023 draft, one wonders where Fields’ career path would have taken him in Chicago this offseason.

This draft cycle, will they give Williams any credence?