The real reason Caleb Williams wanted to be a Minnesota Viking—new details emerge

Don’t get us wrong: Caleb Williams loves being the quarterback of the Chicago Bears, and that’s been the deal since day one.

But before he was the quarterback of the Chicago Bears, he kinda wanted to be the quarterback of the Minnesota Vikings.

In his forthcoming book American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback, ESPN senior writer Seth Wickersham explained why Williams thought purple-and-yellow would suit him way better than navy-and-orange.

And of course, it goes without saying that his desire to play in The Gopher State it was about more than team colors.

But we’ll say it anyhow.

Land of 10,000 Lakes, er, Quarterbacks

Wickersham explained to Chicago Sports Stuff that for Williams, Minnesota’s offensive coaching staff was way more impressive than Chicago’s, especially head coach Kevin O’Connell.

“[When] Caleb met with O’Connell,” Wickersham said, “he saw someone who had been a four-year quarterback starter in college, and briefly teammate of Tom Brady's in the NFL, had learned from some of the brightest coaches and brightest offensive minds in the league, had won a Super Bowl, and was turning out to be a pretty good coach in Minnesota.”

Wickersham also noted that Williams’ Minny love wasn’t just about what the Vikes did have, but also what the Bears didn’t.

“Rather than have the guy who's bringing a playbook from his previous place [like former Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron] and trying to apply it, [Williams wanted] a guy who’s the brains behind that particular playbook. And I think Kevin O’Connell could speak quarterback in a way that was unlike anybody on the Bears’ staff.”

What Could Have Been

Last week, I floated a Draft Day, 2024 trade scenario that would’ve sent Mr. Williams up north and landed Chicago quite the haul:

MIN receives:

• Chicago’s 2024 first-round draft pick (#1)

CHI receives:

• Minnesota’s 2024 first-round draft pick (#10)

• Minnesota’s 2024 first-round draft pick (#17, via JAC)

• Minnesota’s 2024 sixth-round draft pick (#177)

• Minnesota’s 2025 first-round draft pick

• Minnesota’s 2026 second-round draft pick

• WR Jordan Addison

The Bears could’ve walked away from the deal with Addison, Abdul Carter, Brock Bowers, and Bo Nix, plus future first- and second-rounders thrown in for good measure. They would’ve been loaded on offense and O’Connell would’ve had his potential franchise quarterback.

Win/win.

So maybe Caleb had a point about purple-and-yellow.