Insider shares when Bears could make Caleb Williams, Justin Fields decision

NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated suggested in a piece published Monday morning that Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles and others within the organization could be roughly two weeks away from unofficially making USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams the first pick of this year's draft and shopping current QB1 Justin Fields to other clubs. 

Breer revealed that the Bears wanted to fly Williams to Chicago for a visit on Tuesday before the new league year opens on March 13. Williams instead will visit Chicago "shortly after" USC’s March 20 pro day. 

Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk noted that Williams did not complete any medical evaluations at the NFL scouting combine last week. Breer mentioned that the sooner the Bears decide they're selecting Williams with the first overall draft pick, the sooner they can "maximize Fields' value" in a trade they likely hope will occur before other clubs sign free-agent options at the sport's most important position. 

Specifically, Breer said that the Atlanta Falcons and Pittsburgh Steelers "have at least explored" trading for Fields. Fields' employer must either exercise or decline his option worth around $25.7M for the 2025 season by the May 2 deadline for such decisions. 

"What they saw from Williams in that setting was an easy confidence, a player who was very comfortable in his own skin and not concerned much with what other people thought of him," Breer wrote about the Bears' formal interview with the young signal-caller during the combine. "That last part is key, because the Bears have tried to drill down on making sure the person they pick first can handle the pressure and spotlight of the Chicago market. Williams checked that box." 

It was previously reported that the Bears could receive choices in the second and fourth rounds of this year's draft for Fields. Breer wrote that conversations he's had led him to believe "a package of a day two pick and a day three pick would make sense" regarding a Fields trade. 

In a mock draft updated on Monday, Gordon McGuinness of Pro Football Focus predicted the Bears will take Williams first overall and "reset at the quarterback position with one of the top prospects of the past few years." Following the combine, it now feels like it's simply a matter of when a club will take Fields off of Chicago's hands.