Robert Griffin III thinks Caleb Williams should refuse to play for Bears

The Chicago Bears finally made the decision to trade Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for a 2025 conditional sixth-round pick that could become a fourth if he plays 51% of snaps next season.

Now, it appears that Chicago is set to use the first overall pick on USC star quarterback Caleb Williams, who’s been the projected top pick in this 2024 NFL draft for a long time now. Williams isn’t a perfect prospect, as there is some development needed, but he is near the top of the hype train when it comes to QBs drafted first overall since 2000.

Some people wonder about him and his ability to translate his game to the NFL. However, most scouts that ever speak of Williams say nothing but good things about him. The Bears seem to be getting a future star at the most important position in sports.

One person who knows a thing or two about being drafted very high is former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III, a former second overall pick made by Washington in 2012. He had an amazing rookie season and ended up being a Rookie of the Year winner over Andrew Luck, who went first overall in the same draft.

A few injuries derailed his play, and ultimately his career, but Griffin had a nice run. He was so good at Baylor that they built a statue for him. He knows what it is like to have a ton of hype surrounding him. He also knows what it is like to fail and succeed with such hype.

Griffin spends his days working in the media now, and he has a well-respected football opinion for obvious reasons. Well, this one isn’t one that Bears fans are going to like. He believes that Williams should refuse to play for Chicago, like Eli Manning did back in 2004 with the Chargers.

“With everything that just happened with Justin Fields, can Caleb Williams really look at that and say, ‘This is the organization that has my best interest in heart and they are going to help develop me into the player I want to become,’” Griffin said.

Griffin makes a couple of valid points about the Bears and their past development of quarterbacks. However, general manager Ryan Poles and his staff have been different since the second that they walked into the building.

This offseason has been spent continuing to build an ideal situation for a rookie quarterback: two 1,000-yard wide receivers in DJ Moore and Keenan Allen; additional weapons in tight end Cole Kmet and Gerald Everett, along with running back D’Andre Swift; a top-10 defense featuring All-Pro cornerback Jaylon Johnson and Pro Bowl defensive end Montez Sweat; a new offensive coordinator in Shane Waldron with plenty of experience calling plays and building around a quarterback; and another top-10 pick in the upcoming draft.

When all is said and done, this might be the best situation an incoming No. 1 rookie quarterback has ever had in the NFL.

Yes, the Bears have the first overall pick this year. But it’s courtesy of the two-win Carolina Panthers, who traded their 2024 first-round selection (in addition to plenty more, including Moore) for last year’s No. 1 pick.

Poles is coming off an all-time great NFL trade that landed them this pick in the first place. There is no proof not to trust him at this stage. Williams has to see all that has been put in place for him ahead of coming to Chicago. RGIII may make some good points, but the logic is misplaced. It is time for Williams to become the legend at QB that Chicago has been waiting a century for.