Caleb Williams Discusses Bears Rookie Contract Talks: 'I'm Not Handling That'

Caleb Williams may not be represented by an NFLPA-certified agent, but the quarterback says he is not the one negotiating his rookie contract with the Chicago Bears.

"I'm not handling that," Williams told the Chicago Tribune's Colleen Kane during a Saturday event for his nonprofit, the Caleb Cares Foundation. "My lawyers and attorney and everybody, the head of the Bears, everybody up there up top is handling that. That's not my position that I'm handling."

Agents not certified by NFLPA are not allowed to negotiate on players' behalf with teams, NBC Sports' Mike Florio noted.

"In past situations like this, the NFLPA hasn't seemed to be bothered by the reality that it happens," Florio wrote. "The league has, in certain specific cases, reminded teams not to negotiate with anyone other than the player, when the player doesn't have an NFLPA-certified agent."

Williams is set to receive a $39.5 million deal as the No. 1 pick, which will include a fifth-year option for 2028, per Spotrac. The rookie can negotiate other aspects of the deal, including the payment schedule for his signing bonus and what could void his guaranteed money, Florio reported.

Players can also negotiate whether they receive their full guarantees if released before the end of their contract, or if that money could be reduced when they sign with another team, Florio wrote.

The Bears also haven't signed No. 9 pick Rome Odunze, who is projected by Spotrac to sign a four-year, $22.7 million deal.

Odunze is represented by Excel Sports Management, the same company that represented New England Patriots rookie Drake Maye as he signed in own contract in May, per Heavy.com's Beth Mishler-Elmore.

Bears rookies are set to report to training camp Tuesday. Odunze and Williams will need to agree to their contracts before joining.

NFLPA-certified agents generally charged between one and three percent commission on their clients' deals, per sports business reporter Joe Pompliano.

Williams instead opted into a representation team led by his father, Carl Williams, Sportico's Eric Jackson reported.

According to The Athletic's Kalyn Kahler in February, Carl Williams "challenged several potential representatives to find loopholes in the collective bargaining agreement between the league and player's union" that would allow his son to avoid the four-year contract, fifth-year option and potential three years of franchise tagging that come with being a first overall pick.

Kahler also reported that Williams' camp spoke with teams during the draft about the possibility of purchasing team equity. Williams went on to launch his own private equity and venture capital investment firm in June.

Williams' camp seems to have been focused on maximizing revenue for their client, who reportedly earned around $10 million through NIL deals during his final two seasons at USC, per Kahler. It remains to be seen if the NFLPA will step in to enforce its own rules as the team's ongoing negotiations threaten to overlap with Bears training camp.