NFL GM Comparing Caleb Williams to Prince Has Draft World Buzzing

The anonymous quote made waves in the days leading up to the 2024 NFL draft.

Caleb Williams / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Caleb Williams is about as flawless a quarterback prospect you'll come across. His arm strength is elite, he boasts a solid build along with upper-tier athleticism, and his film is littered with examples of his incredibly high football IQ and anticipation. He's been labeled a future No. 1 pick for years and on Thursday that will almost certainly come true as everybody in the NFL draft universe fully expects the Chicago Bears to pick Williams with the first selection.

However, the former USC quarterback is not without his doubters. An anonymous quote from an NFL scout today that sent ripples through the football industry suggests as much. Longtime sports writer David Fleming appeared on Pablo Torre's podcast, "Pablo Torre Finds Out," and gave quotes from two anonymous NFL sources questioning if Williams was too emotional. One GM even compared him to Prince.

.@FlemFile on what a former NFL scout told him about Caleb Williams:

"Raw emotion is great, but Caleb's thing? That was ridiculous to me. That threw up major red flags. ... I will tell you, he scares the sh*t out of a lot of NFL teams too. The book on him is he's just kind of a… pic.twitter.com/0XQXYvuZUd

— Pablo Torre Finds Out (@pablofindsout) April 23, 2024

As suggested above, the one "sticking point" with Williams among the football community is that he isn't your classic football guy, for lack of a better way of describing it. The former USC quarterback went viral last fall for painting his nails and sobbing in his mother's arms after an emotional defeat. It may seem ridiculous to us normal people but every single aspect of a prospect's personality is put under a microscope during the draft process.

Comparing Williams to Prince and framing it as a bad thing takes everything to a whole new level, though. And the draft community was buzzing once it hit the Internet.

I’m all for critiquing Caleb Williams, but the ways that many question him feel like nonsense to me.

What does “It’s like if Prince played QB” mean? Prince was a star. And given that Caleb plays QB like more of an artist than a scientist, you could even say the shoe fits? https://t.co/G2CbRxR6cg

— Robert Schmitz (@robertkschmitz) April 23, 2024

Meanwhile, Caleb on 3rd and 9:pic.twitter.com/VfMnKGLvYZ https://t.co/0UkeY9bbC8

— Brett Kollmann (@BrettKollmann) April 23, 2024

What's the bigger indictment on football culture: using a comparison to maybe the most talented musician of all time as a pejorative or everything else in this quote? https://t.co/5Q0Xv6vw2j

— Mike Piellucci (@mikelikessports) April 23, 2024

Prince’s pocket movement was elite. https://t.co/YCzNuMo1O1 pic.twitter.com/zTnYFfzEQk

— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) April 23, 2024

I would like to publicly state that if I EVER comp a player to Prince, it's because I think they are a can't-miss multi-generational talent and I want them on my team so, so bad. https://t.co/l9Uy8LI5d9

— Andy Behrens (@andybehrens) April 23, 2024

“If Prince played QB” is not an insult. That would be awesome. https://t.co/9wFkwYWMgs

— jon greenberg (@jon_greenberg) April 23, 2024

this episode sounds awesome. when I hear crusty opinions like this ex scout's, i wonder if they are even worth amplifying sometimes. but on the other hand, there are a good number of ppl in the NFL who do think this way, and as long as that's true it's probably worth exploring https://t.co/i8OQ4lm9oK

— Kalyn Kahler (@kalynkahler) April 23, 2024

137-0 victory with Prince playing quarterback https://t.co/pwMXMqd6Uu

— Patrick Daugherty (@RotoPat) April 23, 2024

damn I'd hate it if my QB was a ... singular, genre-bending talent who absolutely shreds??? https://t.co/CKqdPHmQfb

— David Helman (@davidhelman_) April 23, 2024

Perhaps the most important aspect of the quote is the birth of a new nickname. This comparison will follow Williams forever, not because it is in any way remotely accurate, but because it is so absurd the general public will never forget it. There is an astronomically high chance this will get mentioned during a Bears game next fall and that'll be it. Williams will always be known as Prince if he played quarterback or some variation. We are lucky to be witnessing its creation in real time.

Bears fans can now look forward to landing the Prince of football on Thursday night.