Quarterback Caleb Williams got creative and imaginative in his effort to secure special terms in his rookie deal with the Bears. In the end, the Bears didn’t budge.
Per a source with knowledge of the situation, Williams ultimately signed a mostly standard contract.
That said, Williams will get his full signing bonus within 15 days.
The deal contains basic and usual language regarding the potential voiding of future guarantees. Also, the contract has offset language; if Williams is cut with years remaining on the fully-guaranteed contract, the Bears get a dollar-for-dollar offset as to whatever he would make with a new team.
Williams, as PFT previously has reported, tried to persuade the Bears not to use the franchise tag upon expiration of the deal. The Bears declined. Williams also attempted to engineer payment strategies that would have resulted in more favorable tax treatment. Again, the Bears wouldn’t do it.
Whether a proven and experienced agent could have done better remains to be seen. If any agent can ever get a team to agree not to use the franchise tag, that would be worth millions for the player, since the team wouldn’t be able to squat on his rights with a one-year contract that falls well below the top of the market.