Likely Top Pick Says He's Not Pushing Agenda

USC QB Caleb Williams tells ESPN he has nothing against being selected by the Bears and his goal is simply coming in and playing football.

Caleb Williams addressed one of the greatest fears Bears fans have about him in a phone interview with ESPN's Pete Thamel.

That great fear has been he doesn't really even want to come to Chicago, a narrative driven largely by social media. 

"If I get drafted by the Bears, I'll be excited," Williams told Thamel. "If they trade the pick, and I get drafted by someone else, I'm just as excited. Speaking about Chicago, they have a talented team, a talented offense and defense. For anyone to be in that situation, I think they'd be excited."

This was definitely bothering fans more than Bears GM Ryan Poles when he spoke Tuesday at the combine.

"No, no concerns about that at all," Poles said. "I would love to know why, if that was the case.

"Like I said I think, as a young quarterback, I've been around it, infrastructure is important. And I think we've made really good progress in terms of having really good infrastructure for whowever were to come in (drafted) or if Justin were to stay."

As for the possibility of something strange happening with contract talks or other situations, Williams emphasized he is looking at coming to a team and "kicking ass with my new brothers." This possibilty was a fear generated from his lack of an agent.

"I'm not pushing any agenda," Williams said in the story. "At the end of the day, the Bears have the last say. Regardless of how I feel, I'm not pushing an agenda of, 'Yeah, I want to go. Or no, I don't want to go.' I'm excited for whatever comes."

Thamel reported Williams has been to Chicago once. So the Washington DC area native is not exactly someone coming in with an attachment to Chicago sports institutions, like Walter Payton or Michael Jordan.

"I'm 22," he told Thamel. "I didn't really get to see those players. As the saying goes, the legends live on. That's my goal of playing football—it's not money, it's not fame ... it's to be immortal. I want to reach that sense of being a legend. Being at the table ... and having a rightful seat through hard work and energy and time I've put into this game that we all love.

"It's appealing to be in a city like that. With legends that you've looked up to ... reach for the standard they set and try to do anything to get there."

ESPN TALKS WITH CALEB WILLIAMS ABOUT ABOUT THE DRAFT