Caleb Williams responds to new book that claims he wanted to avoid Bears: 'I love being here'

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams is focused on the future. Williams made his first public comments after a new book suggested Williams tried to avoid being drafted by the Bears in 2024.

That book "American Kings: A Biography of a Quarterback" by Seth Wickersham won't be released until September, but quotes from Williams and his dad, Carl, were released in May as part of a preview for the book.

Those quotes suggested Williams tried to find a way to avoid going to the Bears in the draft. Williams questioned whether he could excel with former Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, and Carl cautioned that "Chicago is the place quarterbacks go to die."

Williams responded to those comments at OTAs on Wednesday. To kick off his presser, Williams addressed the book unprompted for roughly four minutes. He then took questions to clear up any confusion over his thoughts.

Williams didn't necessarily deny the comments in the book, but added that his opinion changed after he met with the team before the 2024 NFL Draft. Williams said he "wanted to be [in Chicago.]"

He reiterated that it was his pre-draft visit with the team that got him on board with the idea.

That's consistent to the story Wickersham teased in the book. After meeting with the Bears, Williams reportedly told his father, "I can do it for this team. I'm going to go to the Bears."

In the end, Williams was proven right. Waldron lasted just nine games as the team's offensive coordinator before he was fired. Head coach Matt Eberflus didn't make it much longer, and was let go after a last-second meltdown against the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving.

While Williams reportedly told his father neither Eberflus nor Waldron gave the quarterback guidance on what to watch during film sessions, Williams thanked both men — and many others associated with the organization — for bringing him to Chicago.

Williams said the book comments provided an unnecessary distraction as the team began OTAs, and wanted to address the issue head on. At the end of his nearly four-minute speech, Williams said "the main objective of being here is to turn [this] around."

He added, "That's what we're here to do. That's what they brought me here to do."

After an uneven rookie season, Williams will look to takes strides toward that goal in 2025. The Bears hired highly-touted Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson as the team's next head coach, overhauled the offensive line and gave Williams two new weapons in tight end Colston Loveland and wideout Luther Burden III in the first two rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft.

All of those factors should make it much easier for Williams to excel in his second season and make sure those comments stay buried in the past.